COR UNUM - Kilgraston

COR UNUMwww.kilgraston.com

HOUSES

SPORT

MUSIC

INTERNATIONAL

DRAMA

2 KILGRASTON SCHOOL

Speech Day 04 Chapel 16Social Awareness 18Sport 22Equestrian 30 Outdoor Adventure 34International 36Music 42Drama 46Art 51 Departments 56Features 70Junior Years 84 House Reports 87Staff 91Alumnae 92

INDEX

© Kilgraston School

Our thanks to all contributors. The magazine features highlights of the school year 2016-2017 as observed bymembersofstaffandpupilsoftheschool.Theopinionsexpressedarethose of the writers concerned and not necessarily those of Kilgraston School. We apologise for any inadvertent errors or omissions.

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THE POWEROF MUSIC

RED HAND CAMPAIGN

WOODLANDECOSYSTEM PROJECT

PAINTING WITHMORVEN

MEMORIES OF SR. BYSTRAM

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JUNIOR YEARS HIGHLIGHTS

4 KILGRASTON SCHOOL

SPEECH DAYKILGRASTON SCHOOL 2017

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Dr Campbell is a former parent who, for over 16 years, has researched the physicalandpsychologicalbenefitsof

staying active after a cancer diagnosis. She was awarded an MBE last year in recognition of her work.

Today we celebrate every single pupil and our shared membership of the school which, like alltheverybestthings,doesnotexistforgainor for glory but to inspire the very best in the young people in Kilgraston and beyond.

Education is a precious privilege. In 2014 Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and said: ‘I will read thousands of books and I will power myself with knowledge. Books are the weapons that defeat terrorism. One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.’

Exceptionalteachingdoesnothappenby accident and nor do outstanding pupil achievements.Ioffermycongratulationstolast year’s National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher students for the outstanding results. UpperFifthachieved93%passrateAtoCgrades:60.7%allAgrades.TheHigherresultssaw92%A-Cgradeswith46%allAgrades.ThemostexceptionalsetofresultswasatAdvancedHigherwhere99%ofexaminationstaken were graded A-C and a staggering 66%achievedthetopAgrade,againstanationalaverageofjust33%.Thisputusatthetopoftheleaguetableinfirstposition in the country.

Thisyear’sUpperSixthhashadconsiderablesuccess through the UCAS process, securing places at the top universities in the United

Kingdom.55%hadunconditionalofferswithan equally impressive range of subjects. Almost40%areheadingforundergraduateSTEM courses and a good number pursuing degrees in languages, humanities, social sciences,lawandbusinessorfinance.EllenEastwood has secured one of the very few academicexcellencescholarshipsatBrunelUniversity in London.

The message is – work hard! Aim high! But howhigh?Afamousexperimentconcernsthehumanflea.ThatremarkableinsectcanjumptheheightofBigBen–scaledinfleaunitsofcourse.Itissaidthatifyouputfleasintoajarwithalidonitforthreedays,thosefleaswillnever jump above that level. Even stranger, sotheysay,theoffspringofthosefleaswillneverexceedthatheight!

Of course, I would never dream of comparing any of our fantastic girls to those pernicious biting insects, but I do want to say to all of the girls here, that there is no lid. The growth mindset knows that ambition is long term. We learn from setbacks, more than from the starting point of our ability. It isn’t the fairytale that, “You can do anything you put your mind to,” but the eternal classroom truths: study, do well; work harder, do better; believe you can improve and you probably will; believe you can and see what happens. Working harder makes you smarter. It will take you from this chapel to the ends of the earth – that’s my prediction. This year we welcomed several guest speakers on the theme of women in STEM careers. We enjoyed our second visit from Unison World School, India and we look forward to taking

DOROTHY MACGINTYHEADMISTRESS

Good afternoon Mr ChairMan, Governors, Ladies and GentLeMen, GirLs. i offer you a warM weLCoMe to speeCh day. i wouLd partiCuLarLy Like to weLCoMe dr anna CaMpbeLL, our

Guest of honour today.

“You can do anYthing You put Your mind to”

6 KILGRASTON SCHOOL

a group to India in October. Art is highly visible throughout the school. Thequalityofexecutionandlevelofcreativity of the girls make it a joy to walk through the corridors. Without exception,everyvisitortotheschoolcomments on the high calibre of art. TheA-levelArtexhibitionthisweekwas quite outstanding and I would like to thank Miss MacLeod and Ms Martin for their encouragement of the girls. The sports teams have enjoyed considerable success. Participation has ranged from the whole school Cross Country to over 100 girls playing tennis weekly and over80 taking riding lessons.

Wehavesixinternationalsportsgirlsat themomentwhichisexceptionalandthree of those are playing at Under 21 level: Catriona Norval in netball and Katie Stott and Emily Dark in hockey. Corrie Hay and Ellie Stott played hockey for Scotland U16 with Michaela McCarthy in the development squad. MrsStottandthePEstaffshouldbecongratulated on the best hockey season Kilgraston has enjoyed. Daisy Cross has been selected for the Scotland U18 equestrian team and Daisy Foniciello is the new champion at Scottish fencing U17 epee.

Once again, we have hosted netball tournaments, hockey tournaments, Scottish school rounders, Kilgraston tennis tournament, Scottish Schools Equestrian Championships and numerous swimming galas. I also

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congratulate Mrs Stott on joining theSLT and her additional role as Director of Communications.

The quality of music this year has been fantastic; we had another astonishing Christmas concert in December with over 200 girls taking part. Mr McAuley has certainly made his mark and the breadth of music the girls have performed this year has been quite superb. The enthusiasm and energy in all of these was fantastic and at every event the Kilgraston girls rose to the occasion andgaveterrificperformances.

There were numerous opportunities for individual musicians to shine through recitals, the Kilgraston Young Musician and Perform in Perth. Emma Denny was our Junior Years Young Musician of the Year and Leonie Brink was our Senior winner.JennyWhitakerreachedthefinalof the Perth Rotary Young Musician. Leonie Brink won the Perth Chamber Music competition and woodwind open and recital classes at Perform in Perth.

Scottish music has been a focal point and thefiddlegrouptookpartinworkshopsat school and performed at the Niel Gow Festival. More recently, we have launched Scotland’s only all-girls’ school pipe bandwhichisatremendouslyexcitingdevelopment. In drama, the girls have had considerable success in the LAMDA examinationsandtheproductionof‘Alicein Wonderland’ was superbly well done. I know that Mrs Scott and Mr McAuley were as impressed with the girls’ performances

as I was. All of the success the girls enjoy is encouraged and supported by their teachers and coaches.

Achievement does not happen by chance and I would like to invite you to join me in offeringourgratitudetotheexcellentstaffwe have at Kilgraston.

The restructured Pastoral system of Year Heads for each year group has been a great success and has supported our focus on being an all through school. The introductionoftheKilgrastonCertificateand Diploma for Lower and Upper Fourth has given those girls greater focus on their academicandextracurricularprogramme.

AfinalwordtoUpperSixth:Isincerelyhope that throughout your schooldays here, you have felt nourished, appreciated and respected. It is time now for us to open our arms and set you free into the world of opportunities, whether you are headingforagapyearorofftouniversity.

Youareanextraordinarygroupofindividuals with so many talents and strengths and we will certainly miss you. When we meet other people we often forget what they have said to us but we never forget how they made us feel. You have made us feel good! We are so grateful to you and feel privileged to have been allowed to watch you grow into the wonderful young women you are.

Good luck, keep in touch and always remember you have a home at Kilgraston:

‘cor unum’.

“‘I will read thousands of books and I will power myself with knowledge. Books are the weapons that defeat terrorism. One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”Malala Yousafzai, 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

8 KILGRASTON SCHOOL

TIM HALLCHAIR OF GOVERNORS

weLCoMe to parents, faMiLy and friends, the hoMe teaM of GirLs and staff, the wider kiLGraston CoMMunity and to our

Guest speaker, dr anna CaMpbeLL. aMid a year of extraordinary ChanGe and ChaLLenGe in the outside worLd, it is Good tohave our feet firMLy on safe Ground here at kiLGraston

for a key day in the CaLendar.

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Equally, while we have strong roots and sound values, at the same time, like every

good institution, Kilgraston evolves and innovates to ensure we provide themostrewardingexperienceforthe girls in our trust, and to help themtobefitforpurposeinthenextstageoftheirlives.

My role as Chairman of the Board of Governors is to provide a gentle hand at the tiller over the yearwith the support of fellow Governors and Trustees, particularly Thomas Steuart Fothringham, Chair of the Trustees. On their behalf, I must thank Dorothy and her hard pressed management team for their enormouseffortsthisyear,andthankadedicatedcohortofstaff forgoingtheextramileforboth the girls and school as a whole. I would also like to thank the Finance team under Barry Farrell and committee chaired by Governor, Richard Taylor, for their continued focus on ensuring we provide value for money. With their hardnosed focus on costs, we look to ensure fee increments are minimised and a modest surplus is generated each year for reinvestment. We will again generate a small surplus for the current year; we are in goodhands and robust enough to face the majority of challenges.

I have re-iterated before that Governance matters: we have a risk and compliance group chaired by Governor Christian Melville, keeping both the Board andschool up to scratch in a world bedevilled by changing legislation and procedures.

Wealsouseexternalpartiestocheck that this is the case.

My thanks, too, to the girls who have remained outstanding ambassadors at every level, adapting to change, whetherincurriculum,staffingortimetable. And thanks to you as parents and guardians, for your overwhelming support of the school and for entrusting your girls to us in such a wholehearted manner.

It sometimes seems that so much management time and concern of the Board (and rightly so) is takenupwiththeexceptions-aquestioning parent, unhappy child orconcernedstaffmember-thatwe have to remind ourselves that 99.9%oflifeatKilgrastonisfullofhappiness, success and cheerful ambition. I can assure you that your contribution is never taken for granted.

We have had to say goodbye this year to a number of Governors who have given many years of service in a voluntary and wholehearted manner and always in the best interest of the School; Nigel Rickard, MichaelLongstaffe,EmmaWeir,Lorna Ogilvie; we all owe them a great debt.

We welcome new board members in Emma Carnegie Brown, Graeme Knox,DavidBeal,MichaelDicksonand Tricia Lancaster. They will bring much to our deliberations. While Lorna Ogilvie also leaves the Trustee Board, Richard Taylor and Geraldine Gammell will add to the Governor representation. Thanks too to Geraldine for taking on the role of Deputy Chairman.

I know you will all have your own reasons for sending your girls here; I also had mine when my daughter joined the school. I believe Kilgraston creates a happy environment, in which all girls can prosper: where they can stretch themselves academically, develop as confident,freethinkingindividuals;where they can enjoy a safe and aesthetically uplifting environment, whilehavingaccesstoexcellentfacilities, and the opportunity to participate in sport, music, art, theatre and a practical choice of extra-curricularactivity.

I also believe our girls learn to love the Sacred Heart Goals as a wonderful foundation, not only to get the best out of life here, but as a compass for later life as well.

I have been a Trustee and Governor for eighteen years, and Chairman for much of that time; I joined the team here because I felt there was something very special about the Kilgraston girls and the school itself,worthfightingtoothandnailfor. It never ceases to impress me that each year, we see and hear from another group of sassy, independent, inquisitive young women as they are about to set offinlife;buttheyalsohavethatmost vital and underestimated quality; the gift of kindness.

Girls, never lose the gift of kindness: it conquers pretty much everything. Please stay part of the Kilgraston family and be energetic ambassadors for all that is good about the school.

thank you.

10 KILGRASTON SCHOOL

JUNIOR YEARS HIGHLIGHTSthe senior sChooL has enjoyed the benefit of the enthusiastiC Contribution Made by the junior years both in ChapeL and at house MeetinGs as a resuLt

of inteGratinG the junior years More CLoseLy with the senior sChooL.

Whilst day to day class work forms the core of the educational programme in the Junior Years, this is enhanced by a wide range of enterprising projects, visits and sporting and cultural events.

OurgoalofSocialAwarenesswasfulfilledbytheJuniorYearsthroughtheir fundraising activities for ‘Mary’s Meals’. The enrichment programme involvedspecialtripstoBelfasttotheTitanicExperienceandEdinburghtovisit the Castle and Crannog Centre and to Dundee to visit the ScienceCentre. Enterprise projects taking place in The Grange saw members of the school community and parent body coming to take part in trade fairs and promotional sales.

The vibrant Junior musical community was showcased at the Young Musician of the Year competition, which was won by Emma Denny. The Early Years choir sang ’Roar’ at the Christmas concert and Kilgraston was winner of both choir categories at Perform in Perth. Some beautiful art work commissioned by Mrs Ferguson was on display in the U3 Art Gallery with themes including animals,RobertBurns,Space,andRennieMacIntoshartdecofloralpatterns.Visiting authors have provided inspiration for budding writers and girls have exercisedtheirleadershipskillsincoordinatingparentafternoons.Sportiswell in evidence at skiing competitions, and netball and hockey matches.

Tremendousskillandsportsmanshipwasshownatafierceinter-schoolRounders match with Kilgraston coming a very close second. It has been a very busy and successful year in which the parents have given unstinting support andaffirmationofwhatKilgrastonistryingtoachievewiththeirdaughters.

dorothy macginty, headmistress

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SUSIE DOUGALL U6,HEAD GIRL

first of aLL, i wouLd Like to thank dr anna CaMpbeLL for CoMinGand speakinG to us aLL today. she visited us in the sixth forM durinG

the year and her words inspired us aLL.

ThisismyfifthyearatKilgrastonandmytimeherehascertainlyflownby.WhenIwasthe‘newgirl’, I was comforted by the warm welcome I

gotfromstaffandpupils.Herewemakeanyoneandeveryone feel welcome. Being such a small school, I quickly realised that the relationships between the girlsandstaffwerestrongerthananyotherschool.Nomatter what your talent is, you are always supported and taught to think as individuals. Kilgraston has its own traditions. Not in a million years would I have ever imagined myself processing round a chapel in darkness, holding a lantern, wearing a mantilla on my head and singing in Latin! But these traditions make Kilgraston what it is - a community with one heart.

Speaking on behalf of the pupils, I can say that the teachers’ doors are always open and we can rely on them greatly. This year, Sophie, Teresa and I have worked closely with the Senior Leadership Team, led by Mrs MacGinty. It has been a pleasure working closely with Mrs MacGinty. The Head Girl team and I have learnt so much from the way she leads the school. Throughout the year we have admired her positive attitude and extremeambition.Withhercalmleadershipanddetermination, it is obvious Mrs MacGinty wishes the school to thrive and will do everything in her power to makethishappen.Weareextremelyluckytohaveheras our Headmistress and I would like to thank her for her advice throughout the year.

Mrs Lund is one of the more quiet members of the SLT team; however, she has always been available for academic advice throughout this year, for which we are very grateful and thank her. We admire her modest and calm approach and recognise the huge amount of work she puts into this school, appearing out of nowhere and always lending a hand. Mrs McFadden has been our motherhenthisyear-constantlyofferinghersupportandexpertise.

She is a caring, considerate and powerful woman and I have looked up to her as an inspiration this year. MrsMcFaddenhasapositiveattitudeandextremeorganisation. She has had to put up with the three of us knocking on her door every 10 minutes with questions, and for this we would like to thank her.

Mrs McCormick bravely took on the role this year of beingHeadofUpperSixth.Shehasanadmirableamount of determination which has encouraged us all. As well as this, Mrs McCormick loves a good gossip about the latest reality TV episode - she has become likeasistertousallinUpperSixthandwewouldlike to thank her for her huge contribution. I would also like to thank Mr Kearns who guided us through the process ofUCAS.Thisyear’sUpperSixtharenotoriously knownfortheir‘slightlytoorelaxed’attitude,sopoor Mr Kearns had to motivate us all. However, it is obvious he succeeded and we couldn’t have achieved all our offerswithouthishelp.

UpperSixthhasbeenthebestyearofmyschoollife.We have developed incredibly strong friendships and memories that we will never forget. Now, I am delighted to pass over to Rebecca, Lara and Emily. I know for sure theywilldoanexcellentjobandIwishthemallthebestofluck.IencouragethemandtherestofLowerSixthtomake the most of their last year here and treasure every minute. The help of my two lovely deputies, Sophie and Teresa has made my life a whole lot easier! WhenwewereaskedtodoourfirstassemblyasHeadGirls,theylookedanxiouslycluelessbutnowherethey are - talented, funny, compassionate girls. Our friendship has blossomed throughout this year and I cannot thank you both enough for everything you have done.

Finally, I have to say the hardest goodbye - to the Upper Sixth.Theprivilegeofbeinga‘KGgal’willneverleaveour hearts and it is with great sadness that our school journey has ended. However, I believe these talented girlsinUpperSixthareleavingKilgrastonasconfidentyoung woman and wish them the best of luck in their futures. You are an absolutely amazing bunch and I am sure that we will all keep in touch and I look forward to hearing about all your successes!

Leaving Kilgraston is like leaving a family behind and I amtrulygratefulforalltheexperiences,opportunitiesand memories it has given me. I will never forget it.

So for one last time “ Kilgraston, Cor Unum.”

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DEPUTY HEAD GIRLSSOPHIE DOWNES U6 AND TERESA MATAMORO ZATARAIN U6

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it has been seen suCh a priviLeGe this year to work with susie, our head GirL. she heLped us to stay on traCk and keep a sense of baLanCe (and huMour); even at the stressfuL tiMes.

one: Thebondbetweenstaffandpupilsisunique.Each one knows us, not just our names but if we are having good days or bad days, when to encourage us, when to applaud us and when to tell us to stop procrastinating and get on with the job. We are truly a family.

two: The Lily Procession. What can we say?When you have been here for a number of years,it becomes the norm.

three: The four Houses – Arran, Inchcolm, Kinnoull andMoncreiffecomingtogetherinfriendly,(sometimes not so friendly) rivalry.

Four: Being in an all-girl school has many perks including as the general rule of not having to brush your hair in the morning - although mothers and the boardingstaffmightnotbeinaccordancewiththis!There are no self-conscious issues here.

Five: Our surroundings. Where else can you come to school everyday with the wonderful vision of horses grazing on either side of the drive as you enter the school grounds? These provide a few moments of calm before a busy day.

NextyearwhenSophiegoestoGlasgowSchoolofArttostudyTextileDesignandTeresagoesto Edinburgh University to study Philosophy and Mathematics we will remember Kilgraston as our second home.

It’s true to say we are Kilgraston girls through and through. The qualities and skills we have picked up on our journey have shaped us into the people we are today and now we know it’s time to leave the safety of Kilgraston and make our way down the drive and under the arch way for the very last time as school pupils.

SOPHIEIt’s so strange to think that thirteen years ago, I would have been sitting in the front row inmyfloorlengthredkiltwithpigtailswatchingallthe older girls with admiration as they collected their prizes. I have many happy memories of my thirteen years at Kilgraston. Not many people can say they’ve stayed in the same school forso many years.

For the most part, I have had a great time and made some fantastic friends along the way.It only seems like yesterday that Ellen,Rachel, Rebecca and I were building dens in theAdventurePlaygroundandreadingBiff andChipbookswithMrsFerguson.Ourexclusiveand quirky KG traditions have made it a very special place to be - from the Lily Procession to Fright Night to the Tin Jubilee - which make Kilgraston the unique place it is. It’s truly a school like no other and I wouldn’t changemyexperiencesinanyway.Whateverlifehas thrown at me, daily life at Kilgrastonhas continued as normal.

TERESAKilgraston has a way of making people stay and I am grateful for that. I came here for a term, thinking that after three months I would have had enough and want to go back home to Spain. But after four years, here I am, speaking to all of you and about to go into the world.

Coming to live here at the age of fourteen was really daunting, I didn’t know the language and obviously I was going to be far away from home. But somehow the Kilgrastonmagic,withallitsdifferentfuntraditionssuchas the barn dance or the House activities, managed to make me feel part of a community and want to stay. And I do not regret my decision.

I have grown so much as a person whilst becoming a lot more independent and open minded. The teachers havehelpedfindmystrengthsaswellasencourage me to follow my interests.

But most importantly, during these four years, I have made great friendships that I will always carry in my heart.

SOPHIE AND TERESAWhat makes Kilgraston so special?


THE CHAPLAINCY

ChapeL is a saCred and CoMMunity spaCe in whiCh we CoMe toGether as a sChooL to reinforCe our vaLues, refLeCt on our Lives, pray for our worLd and CeLebrate our aChieveMents. CentraL to our ethos and daiLy praCtiCe at kiLGraston are the five saCred heart GoaLs whiCh underpin aLL aspeCts of sChooL Life: faith, personaL Growth, inteLLeCt, CoMMunity and soCiaL awareness.

Faith fosters an understanding of one’s personal relationship with Christ in a way that makes

sense of life and promotes a respect for all religions.

Personalgrowth(character)affirmsthe uniqueness and worth of each individual in the school community through self-development, personal formation, self-knowledge and the sharing of gifts and talents.

Intellect involves the whole process oflearningwhilstembracingdifferentlearning styles. The aim is to walk withthe girls, helping them to acquire notonly knowledge and skills but the perseverance required to help them achieve their dreams.

Community builds relationships through mutual and multiple interactions, acknowledging that we each have our part to play in society and becoming aware of the impact of our actions on others.

Social awareness promotes a desire to change the world, encouraging the girls to understand global issues and cultivating a willingness to help others.

The goal for this year was social awareness with an emphasis on identifying countries around the world facing serious social issues. Tutor groups across the senior school researched a country and shared theirfindingswiththewholeschool.

Thegirlscoveredabouttwentyfivecountries from within the United Nations recently in the news e.g. famine in Somalia, obesity in America, deforestation in Indonesia, immigration issues in Egypt.

A United Nations style House debate pleading the cause of each country required the house teams to make the case for funding from the UN to alleviate he problems in their chosen country.

Our Charity fund raising campaign for the year was the gathering of back packs for Mary’s Meals. Mary Meals provide meals where there are food shortages due to crop failure, or famine or disruption of supplies throughwarorconflict.Themanifestoof Mary’s Meals is that every child receives one daily meal in their place ofeducation.Thebackpackswerefilledwith resources needed once they had reached their school, eg stationery, toiletries, clothing.

The back pack project complements the school feeding programme by providing children with items that support their education.

Tadala, 12, from Malawi, told Mary’s Meals, ‘I’m very happy. I’ll be able to keepmyexercisebooksandpenssafely in my new bag. I’m going to cherish everything within my bag.It will all help me learn. It’s like I have won a prize.’

Linking in with Mary’s Meals and the realityofhowdifficultitisforpeopleto get an education, members of theUpperSixthwalkedsevenmilesinto school. The walk gave them the personalexperienceofhavingtowalkmiles to school every day without theluxuryofacarorbus.Thegirls,accompaniedbystaff,hadtocrossa variety of terrain including town, motorway, country roads, and forest to reach school, taking over two hours.

Chapel was the focus of many celebrations of the school year, includingConfirmationandFirstHolyCommunion, Masses for the Feast of Mater Admiralis and other points on the liturgical calendar, Lily Procession, achievement assemblies and prize giving. Concerts are also held in chapel as well as choir practice.

The Chapel provides an important focus for both the school and the local community.

CAROLINE LAIDLAW, CHAPLAIN

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THE LILY PROCESSIONThe lead-up to Christmas is a very busy time in Chapel, and traditionally begins with our annual Lily Procession. This is held to honour Mary, mother of Jesus – Mater Admirabilis – who, throughout her life showed great strength and courage in the face of adversity. We learn from Mary by putting our trust in God’s plan for us, and having the courage to stand by our beliefs and values.

The Lily Procession is something that is very special to all Kilgraston girls, past and present. It is always an honour to welcome back former pupils who appreciate how the tradition continues.

THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPEThe Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is always averyspecialoccasionforourMexicanpupils.It is celebrated in December. At the end of Mass, Bishop Stephen Robson presentedMrs McCabe, former Inchcolm Housemistress, withtheProEcclesiaetPontificeMedalin recognition of her services to Catholic education. This is the highest award that the Pope can bestow upon a lay person. The Mass in Spanish was concelebrated by four other priests who have served Kilgrastonover the last twenty years.


SOCIAL AWARENESSS

TheMacmillanCoffeeMorningraised£142.50.

MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING

WILBERRY WONDER PONY

ZoeNivenLowerSixthandfriendsorganised a fundraising event of home baking for Hannah’s Wilberry Wonder

Pony.Theyraisedover£180forthischaritywhich gives funds towards bone cancer research and also helps children with serious illnesses realise their dreams of horse riding adventures.

Zoe Niven L6, Emily Dark L6,Lara Melville L6 and Catriona Roberts L6

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PUPILS’ PERSPECTIVEALANNA AND I TOOK PART IN THE KILGRASTON VOLUNTEERING AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, HOPING TO GAIN SOME MUCH NEEDED EXPERIENCE.

Our project was about Brickhall Farm and how it has changed over the years.

The topics that we wanted to investigate included:animalwelfare,produceandprofits,machinery and methods, land ownership, connections to Kilgraston and maps.

To get this information, we had many resources such as interviews with a professional mapmaker and Mr Paterson(the owner of the farm) and going to the archives at A.K. Bell Library in Perth.

All of our information was put towards the project which ‘Brig in Bloom’ (a local community group) was compiling. What we discoveredwillbepartofthefinalproductand later on it will be displayed as an information board for everyone in the village to see.

Overall, we have had a great time and we have learned a lot about Brickhall Farm and also about Kilgraston and its history. Alanna andIareverygladwehadthisexperienceand would love to do so again!

EMILY GRAY AND ALANNA GANNON, U4

WE VISITED THE MUSEUM OF RURAL LIFE IN EAST KILBRIDE WHERE WE LEARNED ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE AND FARM MACHINERY.

From Mr Paterson, we learned about how in theearly1950s,about20menfromaroundthe village would be temporarily employed during harvest time to thrash down the crops with scythes and gather in with rakes.

There used to be two working horses called Punch and Star but when tractors came induringthe1950s,thehorseswerenolonger needed. Instead of keeping cattle, the farm changed to growing wheat, peas and potatoes.

ROMY BOYD U4, LIBBY BUCHAN-STEELE U4,ZARA BURNS L4, HANNAH COLLINS L4, TALLIE FYFE L4, ALANNA GANNON U4, EMILY GRAY U4, MHAIRI MACDONALD U4,FRANKIE HOME-MOSSOP U4, SARA MILLAR U4 AND ISABEL SERRA REVUELTA U4

BRIDGINGTHE PAST

in the suMMer terM, a Group of eLeven kiLGraston GirLs worked with dunbarney priMary sChooL and LoCaL Group,‘briG in bLooM’ to ‘bridGe the past’ withthe LoCaL farMinG history and the Modern day residents.

K ilgraston was asked to research facts about Brickhall Farm (previously part of Kilgraston Estate) while Dunbarney Primary focused on memories and stories

from local people.

Togetherwithlocalresidents,thegroupfirstvisitedtheMuseumof Rural Life near East Kilbride to learn how farming used to be differenttothepresentday.Also,theschoolwelcomedvisitorssuch as a local Oral Historian, Rob Hands and the owner of Brickhall Farm, Bill Paterson. These gentlemen kindly answered the girls’ many questions. First hand sources were of great value during the research project and the visit to the archives at A. K. Bell Library enabled the girls to use Valuation Rolls and Sasines to trace the farm ownership back through the centuries.

The research was displayed during a local Celebration Event at Dunbarney Church Hall in June, which was attended by hundreds of local residents, during which a selection of the Kilgraston girls wereonhandtosharetheirfindingswiththepublic.Theprojectwillalsocontinueintothenextacademicyear.

ANGELA CALDWELL,CITIZENSHIP CO-ORDINATOR

RED HAND CAMPAIGN CHARLOTTE FRASER L5

on 8 february, 2017, the huManitarian Group of eiGht Lower fifth pupiLs (abbie, aLex b, aLex f, bernadette, CharLotte, eMiLy,

eva and fLora) traveLLed to Geneva with Mrs harrison and Mrs hewett for a huManitarian and CuLturaL trip.

Shortly after arriving in Geneva, we went to the UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency

Fund) Headquarters where we met two officials,oneofwhomworksinAfricahelpingtofreechildreninvolvedinarmedconflictsand to rehabilitate them. He told us about hisfirsthandexperiencesandansweredourquestions in detail.

We learnt about how they negotiate for the children’s release from armed groups or the military and either try to reintegrate them

intosocietyorfindsafeplacesforthemtolive. They also have to help children with the psychological side of life as many have been left with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and have to adapt from a life of violence to being a child and playing once again.

Politics can hinder the work. Some of these children are forced to help terrorist groups with whom UNICEF is legally prohibitedfrom having open communications, due to legal complications and the safety oftheir members.


We came out of the talk with much greater knowledge about how UNICEF carriesoutitsworkandhowthe£220we had raised at school could help free those children forced to be involved in armedconflicts.Itmadeusrealisehowmuch we wanted to help.

We then visited the Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum to learn about the work they carry out all over the world with the goal of alleviating and preventinghumansuffering.Welearntabout their work to reunite families separated during a crisis or by natural disasters.

The following day we visited the United NationsOfficeinGeneva,wherewedelivered the Red Hand prints which hadbeenmadebypupilsandstaffatschool to show our support for the Red Hand campaign which puts pressure on political leaders and governments to stop children being used in armed conflicts.OurRedHandprintswereputon display. We had a tour of the main conference rooms and learnt about significantdealsandtreatiesandwherethey had been written. Talks were taking place while we were there abouttheSyrianconflictandalsoconcerning Cyprus.

Althoughitwasanextremelybusytwodays, our understanding of the work carried out by UNICEF, the United NationsOffice,TheRedCrossandRedCrescentincreasedgreatly.Nextyear,we will once again be asking pupils andstafftomakeredhandprintstosupport the campaign and we will also fundraise for UNICEF.

COR UNUM 2017 21


SPORT

NETBALLKARA MACRITCHIE L5 A fter defeating our well-

known rivals, Strathallan byonegoalinextratime,

we were ecstatic. We had earned ourselves a place in the Scottish SilverCupfinal!

On 23rd March 2017, we made our way to Ravenscraig, Motherwell,toplayourfinalagainst St. George’s School. Walking onto that well known court, we all remembered our previous success there. We believed we could succeed again. After an intense warm up, a motivational team talk and with our game heads on, we made our way to our designated positions. The whistle blew, it was game on. St. George’s had a

much stronger start than us and, looking back on the match, we all agreed that if we had started the waywefinished,theoutcomewouldhavebeendifferent.As the game progressed, we became stronger and stronger.

Thefinalscorewas33-21toSt. George’s and although we thought we could have deserved to win, we did not let the loss defeat our team spirit. With smiles on our faces we left the court and congratulatedSt. George’s, as we knew it was still a great achievement to even makeittothefinal,althoughweall feel we couldn’t have done it without Mrs Ferry, our coach and each member of our team.

it has been a year fuLL of suCCess for the Lower fifth netbaLL teaM. we have Gone froM strenGthto strenGth. aLthouGh we had a rouGh start in terMs of CoMMitMent and traininG, by the end of the season we had CoMe toGether to forM an (aLMost) unbeatabLe teaM.

GOLF PAULINE STOTT MBE, DIRECTOR OF SPORT

The senior school golf championship was held in May 2017 at Dunning golf course.

Jade Courtney was the winner and our Golf Champion, second wasEllen Eastwood and third equal were Emily Gray and Katie Stott. There was a greatresponsetothefirsteverParent/Staff/PupilsgolfoutingtoMilnathort.Forsomeofthegirls,itwastheirfirstever time on a ‘real’ golf course. It was a very enjoyable occasion and we hope torepeatitnextyear.

COR UNUM 2017 23

HOCKEYPAULINE STOTT MBE, DIRECTOR OF SPORT

InOctober2016,ourSeniorandDevelopmentteamsjettedofftoBerlinforawonderfultour.Everyoneplayedsowellandbenefitedsomuchfrommixingtheyoungplayerswiththemoreexperienced,alongwith

sightseeing and fun.

Our Kilgraston hosted tournament was keenly contested with our 1st XI winning the tournament in a penalty shoot-out versus Strathallan.

Finally, the highlight from a team perspective was that Kilgraston won theMidlandKnockOutcupcompetition.Thiswasthefirsttimeinthe 40 plus years it has been held that Kilgraston won and was a remarkable achievement.Allthehardworkanddedicationofthegirlspaidoff.Inthefinal,weplayedDollarAcademyandwiththescoreat1–1atfulltimeitwas another running penalty shoot-out. Amazing attacking play and goal keeper work brought the trophy home.

From personal endeavours we set the bar another height this yearwith both Emily Dark L6 and Katie Stott U6 being selected to play for the Scotland Under 21 team in Ireland in June. This is remarkable, given that the girls are only 16 and 17 respectively.

Corrie Hay L5 and Ellie Stott L5 were selected for the Scotland U16 team and they competed against Wales and Ireland in the summer term. Michaela McCarthy L5 has been in the Scotland Development squadand she has also played so well this season.

A huge thank you to Mrs Ferry, Miss Bain, our families, friends and supporters throughout the season. Without all of you, the sidelineswould have been just too quiet!

the kiLGraston senior teaM has exCeLLed this year and produCed the best season ever, with both teaM suCCesses and personaL aChieveMent.


ROUNDERS

I t feels like being part of a team, every player plays a key role in every match. Even though there is only one captain, every player should

act like the captain on the pitch. Rounders is fun and enjoyable to play, and our team is very competitive in matches and tournaments.

All our team enjoys playing rounders and practising after school together. In this tournament our team was successful and managed to come second over all. Sadly, our team was pipped at the post losing 5-51/2roundersbutitwasagreatday and everyone really enjoyed it!

CIARA FORGIE AND MHAIRI KNOX L5

what it Means to be a rounders pLayer

COR UNUM 2017 25

TENNISBILLY MCNEIL, TENNIS COACH

ALEXA MANGANIELLO L5

There have been over one hundred girls attending lessons Monday to Friday: in particular, a great turn out from the Junior

School with the Thursday Reception - U2 and Wednesday L3 - L4 classes being busy every week.

In the summer term, we worked on consistency, ball height and depth. After all, you have to keep the ball in court just one more time than your opponent to win the point - keep it simple. With that in mind and lots of hard work, the Kilgraston girls had some great results this term. In our home tournament, congratulations to AriettaandAlexaManganiellowhowontheseniorevent,beating Dollar in a closely fought match. Also I wish to congratulate our two new tennis scholars, Maia McLaren and Kemi Dada on winning theSt Leonard’s tournament.

Throughouttheholidays,forsixconsecutiveweeks, Kilgraston hosts the Tennis Summer Camp. This is a great way for pupils and visitors to the school to improve their game, and really focus on areas of technique, such as serving and backhand as we get lots of time on court. The camp is always a fun social way to spend a week or two over the summer and it is a nice opportunity for enthusiasts to come along and get involved.

Thanks again to everyone who took part in tennisover the year. There was much to celebrate in a yearofexcellenttennisandgreatprogressfor all players. I very much look forward to another year of players and teams giving their best on the tennis courts at Kilgraston.

firstLy, i’d Like to say a biG thank you to aLL the GirLs and parents for MakinG this a wonderfuL year of tennis.

TENNIS JOURNEY

When I was about seven, I began to play seriously - keeping in mind the young Alexadidnotwishtoplaytennisandhada

tantrum every time she was asked to go to the tennis courts! But in the end, I thank my Dad so much for encouraging me and pushing me on to play as my sister and I had many achievements in store.

Once we both started playing competitively we were still young and by young I mean about eight and ten years of age respectively. People in the tennis world know that young players do not take matches soft heartedly - so, for your own information, at this stage there were lots of tears being shed, angry shouting and falling on the ground in disappointment... oh, also smashing of the racquet which usually wasn’t a problem because we weren’t very strong at that age. Even though there were all these negative attitudes and actions, it never meant our emotions would rise above sportsmanship.

I can proudly say that my sister and I have been totally committed to sportsmanship through playing tennis. Even if we lost some matches, it never meant we could not win others and we were dedicated to be always sportsmanlike in our approach. Of course, when one of us had won a tournament or even got through just atoughmatchinthefirstround,therewasn’tabetterfeeling in the world. It makes you feel amazing and your coachtoo.Winninghashelpedtoboostourconfidenceand we are all the more determined to keep playing and always enjoying our tennis.

My oLder sister, arietta, started pLayinG tennis round about five years oLd and froM about the aGe of three, i used to Go to the tennis Courts with her and My dad.


NEWS FROM THE POOLSTACY HEWITT, SWIMMING DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

onCe aGain the swiMMinG pooL has had fantastiC aCtivity on offer over the 2016-2017 sChooL session.

D espite a bump in the road during the latter part of the Autumn Term due to essential pool maintenance, swimming is back to full throttle. Lessons are busy and training numbers are rising.

This is in part due to the success of a couple of our squad swimmers who continue to go from strength to strength in their chosen events.

COR UNUM 2017 27

Shona competed in the SNAGS competition in April and represented the schoolintypicalprofessionalfashion,takingawayinvaluableexperienceforhernextroundofcompetitions.IntheMidlandDistrictMeetshequalifiedforthefinalsinthe4eventssheenteredandwon2silvermedalsand2gold medals.

Some changes have been made with regard to swimming provision for thecomingsessionandthiswillmakeforanexcitingtimeatthepool. TimeforlessonshasbeenexpandedonallweekdaysandalsoonaSaturday morning so there will be lots of opportunities for our developing swimmers to hone their skills. Ann Dickson, who has been a fantastic additiontoourswimteamstaffwillbeprovidingaclinicstyleworkshopforus two to three times per term as her commitments to her Commonwealth and Olympic standard swimmers increase we wish her the best of luck and thank her profoundly for her time here.

Swimming is available for all who wish to participate, from water babies on Friday afternoons, to nursery on Tuesdays and Thursdays, to training on Mondays and Thursdays and also with Academy sessions, parent sessions, lessons, early morning lane swimming and time available for pool based birthday parties – there really is something for everyone.

Katherine competed in SNAGS (Scottish National Age Group Championships) in April and qualifiedfor5events,3inbutterflyand 2 in freestyle. She performed very well with personal bests in every event, qualifying for the finalsforallthreeflyeventsandachieving a bronze medal for the 100mbutterfly.

The following month, in the Midland District Meet, Katherine was back in action, achieving Gold medals and personal best times for 200m and 400m freestyle and a Gold medalin200mbutterfly.Katherineis pictured in her favoured event, butterflyandalsowithhermedalsfrom SNAGS.

KATHERINE BAILEY L4 SHONA GRAHAM U4


SPORTS DAY 2017PAULINE STOTT, MBE, DIRECTOR OF SPORT

Our Champions this year were Emily Dark for Seniors (winning allfiveeventssheparticipatedin,priortogoingofftoplayhockey for Scotland!), Kara MacRitchie for Intermediate who

took part in every possible event and Ciara Forgie for Junior who jumped a massive 4.71m to take a new record at school. In the high jump, Tess Wylie and Kemi Dada broke their own records.Thank you to all the girls for taking part and well done to Inchcolm on their sporting success, winning the House event.

this year we were fortunate to have no rain on sports day. what a wonderfuL event it

was with soMe aMazinG perforManCes both on the day and durinG the heats. the whoLe

sChooL had the opportunity to take part.

COR UNUM 2017 29

ELLIE STOTT L5

INTERVIEW WITHPAULINE STOTT, MBE, DIRECTOR OF SPORT

What are some of the highlights of the year?We have been delighted to welcome Mrs Helen Ferry to the school who is our new Head of Physical Education. There have been some excellenteventsandperformancesthisyearthrough all the age groups from our success in the Netball Scottish Cup Championships and winning the Midland Knock-Out Cup in Hockey forthefirsttimeever.

Individual successes are so important to the girls too and we are keen to keep recognising them all: a wide range of sports including badminton, fencing, golf, karate, hockey, netball, skiing, swimming, riding and tennis.

Particularly pleasing this year was our Presentation Evening for sport with 52 girls getting awards. On the night it was wonderful to see our gymnastics display, karate demonstration, ballet and the whole school sports video was fantastic. All the girls were so deserving of their certificatesandawards.ThisyearKatieStottwon the Susan Rhodes Sports Award which is presented annually in memory of our former Head of Physical Education who sadly died andis missed by all.

What are your plans for next year?We are very keen to keep up the inter House events and we are busy with cross country, sports day, netball, rounders, tennis, hockey (indoor and outdoor) plus considering riding too to encourage as many participants as possible.

What clubs are on offer at school?Nextyearwewillcontinuewithbadminton, ballet,climbingwall,fencing,fitnessgym,football,gymnastics, highland dance, hockey, karate, netball, riding, running, swimming, tennis, yoga and Zumba so there is something for everyone intheweek.Wedohopethegirlsfindsomethingthey enjoy at Kilgraston.

It really is a privilege to work at Kilgraston with such amazing girls and we wish them all the best over the summer holidays and look forward to a new season for sport.


EQUESTRIAN

In Lower 6th, I was given the opportunity to volunteer after school every Friday at the stables as part of my Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. There were always

plentyofexcitingtasks,rangingfromsweepingthe floortoparticipatinginoneofthemanygreatridingclinics. I was always happy to be there and to help out. One of my best memories was getting to ride everyone’s favourite cob, Socks who managed to make even a simplehackexciting.EverysinglehorsekeptattheKilgraston equestrian centre is unique.

I have always wanted to be able to be a part of an equestrian community within my school and it was special for me as it made me feel part of a community that cares. As the equestrian captain, I have helped to organise competitions and to get people involved in as many events as I can, which sometimes proved harder to do than might be imagined. My role also involved helping people with any questions they had about the equestrian facilities at Kilgraston. No question was ever too much or too silly to answer as, with the support ofalltheequestrianstaff,Iwasgivenalltheknowledgeabout our community that I would need. All members oftheequestrianstaffareverysupportiveandhelpful,proving to be a hit with all ages of girls at Kilgraston. The various competitions held each year always bring

success to girls in all age ranges with the highlight of the equestrian year being the Kilgraston Scottish Schools Combined Training Championships. Last year I competed as part of a team at this Championship event at Howe, which led to us all winning individual prizes and group prizes, all in the high ranks of the day.

There is a great sense of pride associated with being able to do well for my school at competitions. Competitions are also held by other schools that we, asaKilgrastonteam,attendregularly:forexample,theStrathallan Showjumping Championships held earlier in the year which we participated in with great success across the board.

As equestrian captain, it is so lovely to see all the year groups getting involved in activities and the joy that being around horses can bring. During the summer holidays, Kilgraston girls compete at local and national competitions all across the country with bountiful success. This brings a great sense of achievement to the Kilgraston sporting community as it shows how dedicated our girls are to their sport. I hope that in the future I can still hear all about the success of the Kilgrastonequestrianteamandgoodlucktonext year’s equestrian captain, Zoe Niven.

horses have aLways been a LarGe part of My Life; i have been ridinG sinCe the aGe of three and this year i was LuCky enouGh to be Chosen to represent

My sChooL as equestrian Captain with GraCe reiLLy as viCe Captain.

HANNAH CUTHILL U6, EQUESTRIAN CAPTAIN

COR UNUM 2017 31

RIDING AT THE EQUESTRIAN CENTRE

R iding a smaller horse after a bigger horse is just plain weird as you sometimes forget they are smaller and that the ground is closer. Honestly,

after dismounting from Clio, I nearly broke my knee caps because she was smaller than Chaser!

At Kilgraston, I ride twice a week: on Wednesday after school and on Saturday morning when I also help at the stables. It has not always been happy and joyful. Duringmyfirstsummerequestriancamp,Ihadsomuchfunforthefirstthreedays.Onthelastday,Icaught Chaser, groomed him and plaited up his mane. After that I tacked him up. As it was the last day we had ajumpoff.Whenitcametomyturn,Imanagedtoclearthefirsttwojumps.AsIcametothethirdjump,Chaserstumbled and fell forward. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it was in trot, but he stumbled while cantering. ThismeantChaserwasunbalancedsoIfelloff,headfirst.Accordingtoanotherrider,allridingactivitywasput on hold until they were sure that we were safe.

Rachael, my instructor, took me up to Reception and called my parents. When my dad took me to the hospital for a check-up, luckily, I didn’t have a concussion but I did end up with a broken collarbone.

However,thisdramaticexperiencedidnotstopmefromriding.Ihavelearnedtobecomemoreconfidentwithjumpingandtorideavarietyofdifferenthorsesincluding Chaser, Charlie, Clio, Rory and even Socks.ThefirsthorseIrodeafterfallingoffChaserwas,infact, Chaser. NextyearIamgoingtostarttotrainformyBritishHorse Society Stages One and Two. The equestrian centre has helped me improve dramatically as when I firstcame,Ididnotknowhowtocanterorjump.

And now two years on, I can walk, trot, canter, gallop and jump. At the Spring Fair, I even helped with the pony rides for the visiting children. This summer, I had a photo shoot with one of the horses from the Kilgraston equestrian centre. The horse I chose was Clio.

I was full of nerves when I got started. However, as it went on, my nerves melted away. Clio behaved really well (apart from the fact she bit me and stood on my toes twice)!

At the sports presentation evening in the summer term, IwasverypleasedwhenIwasawardedthecertificatefor the ‘Most Improved Lower 5th Rider of the Year’.

durinG My two years at kiLGraston, i have ridden so Many different horses froM the stabLes. when i first started ridinG Lessons, i rode a beautifuL pony CaLLed rory and after a whiLe, i beGan to ride a horse CaLLed Chaser, then i started to ride CLio Last oCtober.

KIRSTY ROSS L5


AT THEEQUESTRIAN CENTRE

E very time I sat in the car, either on my way in or out of school, I asked my mum

when I would be old enough to have riding lessons. She eventually gaveinandbookedmyfirstlesson.I LOVED every second. I was led around the arena by one of the older girls, who had to run alongside when it came to teaching me to trot!

After a while, I knew which pony I liked the best. She is called Toni. I would get upset if I didn’t get to ride her in my lessons even though she wasn’t always well behaved. She is only little but has a big personality andlotsofexperience.Ilearnedsomuch on Toni. She loves to canter and jump.

The instructors, Rachael, Ruth, Kirsty and Charlie always seem to know just how much they can ask me to do. Amazingly, it seems to work most of the time. I’ve continued my lessons since then: in all weather, rain, wind, snow, we still rideand lessons go on.

Two years ago, all my wishes came true when I got my own pony.He is the most amazing, handsome, clever pony in the world and he is called Pebbles. He lives at Kilgraston and I am sure he enjoys himself as much as I do there.

Riding can be a bit scary but I have definitelylearnednottoletthatstop me. Pebbles and I go out to

competitions and sometimes we even win. Cross Country is still my biggest challenge but I’m working on it.

I love being with all the horses at the stables and learning how to take care of them: I feel very lucky to have Pebbles and to be able to ride him at school whenever I can.

If you think you might like to join us at the equestrian school, all you have to do is come in for a chat thereandyoumightjustfindyoulove it as much as I do. There really isn’t anywhere else that I would rather be.

the first tiMe i ever Got on a pony i was six years oLd. i had been a pupiL at kiLGraston sinCe pre-sChooL and had been drivinG

throuGh the fieLds of ponies every day.

MISCHA STEELE L3

photographer : alistair kerr

COR UNUM 2017 33

EQUESTRIAN COMPETITIONS RACHAEL MACLEAN, EQUESTRIAN MANAGER

S trathallan won the team section with the Kilgraston team of Heather, Hannah

Cuthill and Millie Brown second. Inthe90cm,Kilgrastonreallywason form. Anna Smallwood took individual 1st place. The Kilgraston team of Anna, Poppy Currie, Daisy Galbraith and Sasha Niven won the team section. In the 75cm, Connie Wang of Kilgraston took the red rosette. The Kilgraston team of Connie, Daisy Lockhart and Tess Wylie won the team section. The finalclassofthedaywasthe60cm.In the individual section Camryn Wilson won with her pony Dusty. It wastheirfirstcompetitiontogetherso they were absolutely thrilled. The team section was won by Craigclowan. A special mention goes to Mischa Steele who completed her firstevercrosscountrycompetitionon her pony Pebbles.

Nineteen Kilgraston girls and their horses/poniesheadedtoHoweto compete in Strathallan’s team show jumping competition. The girls looked so smart, turned out in their show attire with the ponies all gleaming and plaited up. We started the day very well with Mischa Steele, Flora Allen, Erin MacGregor and RubyForbeswinningthefirstclassof the day, beating another nine

teams in the process. This is a huge achievement for such promising young riders. Mischa also took individual 6th place out of the 45 riders entered. In class 2, Mischa, Flora,IssieJeffreyandFrankieHome-Mossop jumped really well. Two fast clear rounds from IssieandFrankiemeantwegotsixthteam place. In the 85cm we had 3 teams entered. We had a few unlucky poles down in a very competitive class of 16 teams but still managed third place for Frankie, Hannah Cuthill, Millie Brown and Daisy Galbraith. In the 1m, we had two teams entered: the white team of Hannah Cuthill, Heather Halley, Anna Smallwood and Poppy Currie and the blue team of Connie Wang, Poppy Currie, Daisy Galbraith and Millie Brown. It was a really tough course with only 4 clear rounds out of 40 riders: Heather was one of them, gaining individual 3rd place. The white team came in 2nd place. The girls all did us proud in a very long day of some fantastic show jumping.

In April 2017, Kilgraston hosted the annual Kilgraston Championships atHowewhich,forthefirsttime,had the addition of NSEA (National School Equestrian Association)

dressage and show jumping qualifiers.Wehadanewcombinedtraining class to start the day, awalk/trotdressagetestand50cm jumping which was won by Strathallan. Class 2 was our Junior under 12 combined training class where Kilgraston came out on top for the team results and also the individual with Erin MacGregor and Buzz in 1st place and Mischa Steele and Pebbles in 2nd place. The 75cm showjumpingcamenext,whichwasthefirstNSEAqualifier.

A huge well done to the Kilgraston team of Mischa Steele, Daisy Lockhart, Camryn Wilson and Erin MacGregor who won the class and qualifiedforthechampionships.Class 3 was the Intermediate combined training. It was Strathallan on top this time with Kelso High School second and Kilgraston in third place. In the Open combined training, Anna Smallwood came second in the show jumping, also qualifying for the championships.

Thanks to Pentland Landrover for sponsorship and prizes, to the equestrianandsportsstaff,MrMuirhead, Mrs Harrison, Mr Milner, Mrs Johnstone, Mrs MacGinty and SLT for handing out prizes and to the girls who competed on the day.

we had a GLorious day at the seCond kiLGraston inter-sChooLs’ hunter triaLs, heLd at foresterseat Cross Country Course. 90 CoMpetitors froM 23 sChooLs took part. in the 1M CLass, brooke waLker of strathaLLan just pipped heather haLLey to the red rosette.

photographer : alistair kerr


OUTDOOR ADVENTUREHANNAH CUTHILL U6

at the end of june 2017, nine GirLs froM u6 Left sChooL for an end of year trip to the isLe of arran, one whiCh

wouLd prove to be a Great adventure.

COR UNUM 2017 35

Thefirstdaywasspentmainlytravelling by train and ferry, as we tried to make our way

from Perth across land and sea to the Isle of Arran. However, we discovered the journey had not ended when we eventually reached Arran. There was still the almost hour-long walk from the ferry terminal to the campsite at Glen Rosa. Admittedly, this could have been a lot worse but the fact was that having travelled all day and carrying a rucksack which seemed to weigh heavier with every step, it felt like the longest walk ever. We were thankful to reach the campsite and after everyone set up their tents safely, it was time for thefirstactivityofthetrip…awalk to the beach. Despiteeveryonefeelingexhaustedafter our journey, we were all happy togetoutsideandexploretheisland and its natural beauty. The beach proved a real hit with the discovery of many interesting shells, rocks, and small crustaceans which our leaders educated us about - andareallyexcitingplaypark.Aftersuch a long day, everyone was excitedtohavetheirslightlycoldtomato pasta and to curl up in their sleeping bags for the night.

Day two proved to be more of a challenge with the climbing of a rathersteephill.At9:30amwestarted our walk towards the base ofCirMohrwherewesplitoffinto

two groups; one group took the mainlyflatrouteupthroughthequarry and to the saddle of the hills while the rest of us started our ascent up the hill. Despite our very regular breaks we powered on through the bracken and the marsh, and eventually up through the granite that lined the hillside.

Nearing the peak of the hill, it became very rocky with some large boulders having to be climbed over, which to everyone’s satisfaction, was awarded the mighty level 1 scrambling by Mr. Laird. Due to some very inconsiderate clouds, our view didn’t stretch much beyond our small group of people but the sense of achievement at reaching the summit was enough to keep us all in good spirits for the journey back down the hillside. Intheevening,wehadacampfirewhere we made s’mores and roastedhotdogsontheflames.Despite the already blistering heat, wewereallrelievedtohavethefireas the smoke kept the midges away for a while. It was a good end to a tough day.

On the third day, we took a day trip to Lochranza where we sunbathed near the harbour and then had a look around Lochranza Castle. After anextendedrelaxedlunch,wewalked down to the Distillery where there were plenty of things to see and delicious artisanal bread and flavouredoilsinthecafé.

A small group of three girls, accompanied by two leaders, decided to go on a short walk through the woods and on to the beach, where I discovered stone skimming was not my strong point! Once the groups were reunited, we took the bus journey on rough roads back to Brodick where we madegiftpurchases.Ourfinalevening was spent at the beach followed by playing card games aroundthecampfirewhichended averyhotbutrelaxingday.

Ourfinaldaywaspossiblythemoststressful, despite the fact that we were going home. We had a 6am start as we needed to catch the early morning ferry. Everyone had to keep very alert with there being little time between the various connections…speedwalkingthrough Glasgow city centre with a massive rucksack on my back is not something I would be in a rush to do again! Eventually we all made it back home, safe and sound.

TheexperienceisonethatIwillalways remember. It was fun and happywithamixtureofeducationandexplorationthrownin.Iwouldrecommend anyone who has the chance to just go for it. Our leaders, Mr. Laird and Mr Johnston from school and Steph (a local outdoor instructor) all gave us the best outdoorexcursionwecould have asked for.

Thank you.


STONE RIDGE SACRED HEART SCHOOLS EXCHANGEEMILY KAMINSKI U5

stone ridGe is an aLL-GirLs day sChooL in bethesda, MaryLand, near to washinGton d.C. with a Lot of speCiaL saCred heart traditions.

OneofourfavouritetraditionsisCongé.Thisisaday when we all show up to school as normal and are then surprised with a day of no classes.

Instead of usual school lessons, fun activities are planned by the student government. Any tests or homework that you might have had for thatdayarecancelled.‘Congé’isfromtheFrench‘totake leave’ and comes from the French heritage of the Sacred Heart. Feast Wishes is a celebration on our last day before Christmas break. The whole school comes togetherandputsonaconcertforthestaff.WesingChristmas songs and all the musical groups perform. Every year, we sing ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ witheachgradesingingadifferentverse.Theopportunities for service are brilliant. Every other Wednesday afternoon, we don’t have classes and insteadgotodifferentsitesaroundthecitytohelpout the community. Some people help at a school for underprivileged girls, while others may go to a shelter for homeless people. It is a great way to practise the goals of the Sacred Heart. We love our traditions but we also love the new customs we have encountered here. It is really cool to walk the halls of Kilgraston and hear the variety of international languagesandexpandingourknowledgeoftheworld.

As we go to a day school, being part of the tight knit boarding community has been wonderful. A girl fromourschool,CamillaDuke,cameonexchangetoKilgraston three years ago and inspired us to apply. We are so grateful that we have had this opportunity. IfyoueverfindyourselfinWashingtonD.C.orifyoueverhavethechancetogoonexchangetotheUnitedStates, you will always be welcomed by your Sacred Heart sisters at Stone Ridge.

thE SacrEd hEart EXchangE nEtWorK

The Network of Sacred Heart Schools consists of 150 schools and colleges in over thirtydifferentcountriesaroundtheworld:all originally founded by the religious order, the Society of the Sacred Heart which began in France in 1801.

These schools share the Sacred Heart ethos of educating the whole person and many of them provide opportunities for student exchanges.KilgrastongirlshavebeenonexchangetoSacredHeartschoolsinEuropeand the USA and some have spent gap years at schools in Australia or New Zealand.

COR UNUM 2017 37

MY LIFE HISTORY

ON REFLECTION

ALICIA PANé U5 ALISON MANCA U5

A t Wolftrap Elementary School, we had small classes, full of wonderful teachers and just as awesome

students. Then, with the rest of my class, I went to Kilmer Middle School where there were over 600 students in my grade. None of the teachers knew me as I was a quiet student and never caused any trouble. I was not happy and frustrated that the only thing the teachers seemed to care about was us doing well on the standardized tests, rather than whether we actually understood the material.

After talking to my parents, we decided that it would make sense for me to move to a new school. I ended up going to Washington Episcopal School (WES) where I quickly made friends and the math teacher recognized that I could push myself more in that subject. For high school, I decided on Stone Ridge and soon found that I enjoyed the challenges of the new classes.

Whentheprospectofgoingonexchangecame up, I was instantly fascinated by the idea.IsubmittedmyexchangeapplicationwithKilgrastonasmyfirstchoice.AlthoughIhadtowaitalmostsixmonthstofindoutthe result, I was ecstatic to learn in the endIcouldgoonexchangewithtwoofmyclosest friends from Stone Ridge. Over the summer there was very little news but as soon as sophomore year started, we began to iron out the details. Dates were chosen, plane tickets bought, and packing lists were made. Thanksgiving break was spent shopping, packing, and saying goodbyes. Finally, the day arrived and my mother and father drove me up to Newark airport where we met Emily and Alison. On our arrival at Edinburgh, I was amazed to see the copious amount ofland,havinglivednexttoabigcitymywhole life. I am so very glad that I have had this opportunity.

F rom the outset, I knew that American schooling and culturewereverydifferentfromScottishschoolingand culture, but I have still managed to be shocked

bythedifferences.AlthoughallSacredHeartschoolspractise the same goals and some of the same traditions, we interpret their meanings in our own ways.

OnourfirstdayatKilgrastonwehadtolineuptowalkintoassembly and then we sat down. A student (presumably SixthForm),stoodupandgaveoutsomeannouncements.I admit I found it strange that her tone was so formal. Suddenly, everyone stood up (my reaction was a bit delayed, I’m sure) and a teacher (I later learned this was the Headmistress) walked down the aisle. The day wenton in such a way. When the teacher enters, we stand up and be quiet, then when they say, “Good morning” or a variation of the like.

IfindmyselfmissingtheinformalitywithwhichStoneRidge operates. We hang out with our friends until 8:00am whenassemblybegins.TheMiddleyearssitonthefloorofthe cafeteria, and the Juniors and Seniors sit at the lunch tables. The Upper School’s student President and Vice President play music when everyone is entering to wake usup.Whenassemblystarts,themusicisturnedoffandastudent comes up to say the prayer. After prayer, students come up to make announcements. They always speak in cheerful voices, meant to entice us to do what they ask. Everyone is free to speak about whatever they think the school needs to hear. Now, don’t get me wrong - I’m not trying to undermine Kilgraston’s authority and persuade the students to revolt! I really like the way it ishere,it’sjustdifferent.That’swhyIcamehereinthefirstplacetoexperienceanewculture.

In America, you must eat fast in the cafeteria. Everyone gets upfromthetablewhentheyfinishtheirmeal,soifyou’rethelastonetofinish,thenyoueatalone.AtKilgraston,Ihappenedtobethelastonetofinisheatingtheotherday,whileeveryoneelsewasfinished.Theyallstartedtogetup when one girl said, “Wait, wait!” and she was looking at me.Everyonefollowedhergazeandsawme,finishingmydinner. They all immediately sat down. This is culture for you all, but for me it was a great kindness.IexpectedthepolitenessherebutIamstilleternally grateful for it. Now, I face a question that I had not expected.Dowe,asAmericans,sacrificepolitebehaviourfor a laid-back nature, if so, which would we rather have, and is there a way to achieve both?


MARMOUTIEREXCHANGE

MOLLY PEETERS L5 AND PIP FORSTER L5

on thursday 25th May 2017, we eMbarked on our 24 hour journey to the frenCh City of tours. we arrived at the sChooL

Mid-afternoon to be CoLLeCted by our host faMiLies.

They were all very welcoming and accommodating towards us. We spent the weekend with them doing various activities such as boat trips, swimming and shopping.

On Monday we got up early to travel to the school and meet up with the rest ofourgroupfortheday.WethenwenttoourfirsttwocastleswhichwerecalledChâteaud’AzayleRideauandChâteaud’Ussé.

COR UNUM 2017 39

Ourfirstcastlewasbeautifuldespitehaving half the castle closed for restoration. The second castle we all enjoyed because not only was it very big with grand towers and gardens, it was also the inspiration for the well-known fairytale, ‘Sleeping Beauty’. It had many more rooms to visit as well as large caves where they store wine.

On Tuesday we went to Château de Chambord; this was a huge hunting lodge where the previous kings stayed whilst they were hunting. The second castle was Château de Cheverny: despite being smaller, it had a certain elegance which the previous castles did not quite achieve. TheydisplayedaTintinexhibitionwhich we all enjoyed very much.

There were large kennels for their hunting dogs and smallkitchen gardens.

On Wednesday we spent the morning in the Sacred Heart school, Marmoutier. The school was quite differentfromScotlandastheirdaysusuallyfinishat4.30pm exceptforWednesdaywhentheyfinishat12noon.Theyalsohave no uniform. We started the day with subjects such as History, MathsandEnglish.Afterfinishingthe morning we returned home with the host families and ate a quick lunch before leaving to play Lazer Tag in the centre of Tours with the French girls, it was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Thenextdaywevisitedourfinaltwo castles; these were Château

de Champchevrier and Château de Villandry. Champchevrier was a private castle and we were given a special tour by the owners - they have huge walls of hunting trophies and large kennels where they kept their pedigree hunting hounds. Villandry was a grand castle with huge, very beautiful gardens. It was very special to see these wonderful castles and we all enjoyed them very much.

Onourfinaldaywevisitedathemepark, called Futuroscope which was a huge science park, full of amazing attractions such as 4D cinemas, excitingridesandlifelikevirtualexperiences.

The trip to France was a once in a lifetimeexperienceandoneweshall never forget.


KILGRASTON LANGUAGE SCHOOLAND ACTIVITIES CENTRE

SUZANNE LITTLEJOHN, MANAGER

the kiLGraston LanGuaGe and aCtivities Centre is GoinG froM strenGth to strenGth. this year durinG our 4 week proGraMMe we are hostinG a totaL

of 135 students froM 14 different Countries to experienCe an enGLish LanGuaGe environMent, Make friends and enjoy our fantastiC faCiLities.

S tudents between the ages of seven and seventeen are joining us from China, Russia, Spain, Italy, Thailand, Germany, Cyprus, Greece, France,

Belarus, Portugal, Congo and Kazakhstan. We are delighted that as a result of the Kilgraston school exchange,somestudentshavejoinedusthisyear from Marmoutier Sacred Heart school in France.

The interactive programme consists of learning English in the mornings, participating in sports, activities and excursionsintheafternoonsandfunactivitiesintheeveningsrangingfromkaraoketodiscos,films,homebaking or musical theatre, to name a few, provides our studentswithanactionfilledday,eachandeveryday.TheafternoonprogrammeofactivitiesisextensiveandthisyearwehaveextendedittoincludeScienceexplorationandArtsandCrafts.Ourweekend‘DiscoverScotland’ programme is broad and includes cultural trips to Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews as well as trips to Culzean Castle, Kelvingrove Museum and Edinburgh Castle to name a few.

It’s an opportunity for our students to enjoy Scotland’s many places of interest and outstanding beauty. Our teamofdedicatedandsupportivestaffworktirelesslyand this year it has included former Kilgraston pupils,

Phoebe Reilly and Rachel Menzies, following in the footsteps of Hannah Brattesani who worked for the Language School in 2014 and 2015.

We truly delight in the variety of ways that out students learn, practise and communicate in English and we admire the friendships that form between students ofdifferentnationalitiesandages.Often,wereceivefavourable reports from their schools who speak of the marked improvements in the students’ English. We are proudofourworkandhowwearemakingadifference.One of our Italian students visited Edinburgh on an excursionwithusandshewassoinspiredbythecitythat she has now applied to study there at university.

Our summer school is young, vibrant and popular. As one of the only in house summer schools in Scotland we are quickly becoming established as a centre of choice for many who are looking for an individualised study holiday in Scotland. We are delighted with the incredible growthwehaveexperiencedthisyearwithnumberseachweekexceedingourexpectation.Ourreputationis growing and we are pleased to be able to welcome students back year on year. Kilgraston is such a magical placeandweareprivilegedtoshareourexperiencewithso many pupils from around the world.

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YUSTINA VOLSKAYA U5

how Many nationaLities are there in the worLd?have you ever wondered...?

how beautifuL, unique and vaLuabLe is every sinGLe CuLture!

Just imagine: some of them are bursting with thousands of years of history, being

constantly passed on from generation to generation. Weareextremelyluckytobelivingin a worldwide community as we have a range of opportunities to discover new cultures. The International Evening helps us to examinedifferentcountriesandnationalities in a funny, friendly and enjoyable atmosphere.

What is the international evening? It is an annual Autumn school event, prepared by international students and ESOL coordinators, where all guests are welcome to try delicious intercontinental food aswellasexperiencefascinatingperformances, such as a Chinese calligraphy demo course, German national dances or Kazakh ‘sha-shu’ giving.

Thefirstpartoftheeveningshowcased international food around the world. We had three tables for the girls from Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine with all the Russian-speaking girls. All of them were rich with delicacies that we brought from our own homeland: forexample,Kazakh‘baursaks’

that are small dried balls made of sweetened dough. We also prepared pleasing souvenirs for those who could answer our curious Kazakhstan-related questions.

As for the performance, we wanted todosomethingexceptionaltorepresent the culture and attitude of our nations. Thus, we prepared a Kazakh-Ukrainian-Russian dance along with a particular Kazakh ‘sha-shu’ giving ceremony, mentioned earlier. By the way, ‘sha-shu’ implies throwing treats to honourable people, since catching sweets symbolizes joy and happiness according to the Kazakh beliefs.

To be honest, I am really proud of our team’s work. However, other people involved in the evening, madesuchagreatefforttoo.

They arranged 10 more tables full of appetizing national snacks and beverages.ItriedsomeMexicansavoury lollipops, Austrian chocolate balls with nougat and almonds, Spanish sliced pork, called ‘Hamon’, Northern Ireland’s jam and butter toasties, German ‘Zimtsterne’ cinnamon stars and ‘Lebkuchen’ ginger bread, French crêpes and a Russian rye bread beverage, called

‘kvass’. This wasn’t even the half of all the food which students brought.

The entertainment programme was absolutely fantastic. All the performances were wonderful and very well prepared. My favourite was the Nigerian modern dance, because the movements were simple and clear, so all of us could join in.

The Chinese calligraphy writing master class, Norwegian myth narrative,Japanese‘animé’stylizeddances and, of course, Mr McAuley’s Irish teapot playing were also highly entertaining. To be honest, I had never thought it was possible to play crockery, but his performance was hilarious and talented at the same time!

Finally,Iwanttoexpressmywarmest thanks to Mrs Neville and Mrs Guthrie for preparing such an amazing event.

In my opinion, International evening demonstrates how precious and wonderful our community is and it was an outstanding celebration of all nationalities living together in peace and harmony under the wide Kilgraston roof.

INTERNATIONAL EVENING


MUSICthe MusiC departMent in kiLGraston seeks to deveLop the GirLs

into Confident and happy MusiCians throuGh LearninG, perforMinG and CreatinG MusiC.

JASON MCAULEY, DIRECTOR OF MUSIC

There are certainly many opportunities for the girls at Kilgraston to make music throughout the year and this can only be a good thing!

Thebenefitsoflearningandplayingmusicaretremendous: It is proven that playing a musical instrument relieves stress, makes you smarter, improvesyoursociallife,helpsbuildconfidence,teaches patience, fosters creativity, improves memory, develops discipline and gives you a sense of achievement. It can also be a lot of fun!

With this in mind, the Music department in Kilgraston hascontinuedtoflourishandgrow.Mypredecessor,Andrew McGarva, certainly left a wonderful legacy and I’m delighted to be able to build on his good work and concur with his comment last year that “Kilgraston has music at its core”.

There have been over 50 events this year requiring a musical contribution. Most are well established events in our school calendar and some were new additions. The major concerts this year included the St Cecilia’s Concert, the Christmas Concert, Spring Concert and Summer Concert. The enthusiasm and energy in all of these concerts was fantastic and on every occasion the Kilgraston girls rose to the occasion and gave terrificperformances.ThehighlightofcoursewasourChristmas Concert. It really is a delight to see over 200 of our girls performing on stage in the Perth Concert Hall sharing the wonderful message of Christmas.

So many girls have achieved this year and, at the risk of missing some out, I must highlight a few. In September, Jenny Whitaker played trumpet in the BBC Youth

Ensemble at the iconic ‘Last Night of the Proms’ at the Royal Albert Hall in London. After the New Year we had several recitals, the Kilgraston Young Musician and Perform in Perth.

This year Emma Denny was our Junior Young Musician and Leonie Brink won the Senior Young Musician oftheYear.JennyWhitakerreachedthefinaloftheRotary Young Musician, this time on Voice, and Leonie Brink also won the Perth Chamber Music Competition and Woodwind Open and Recital classes at Perform in Perth. Other winners in Perform in Perth included EmmaDenny,MischaSteeleandAmyBaxterandforthefirsttimeourthreechoirshadacleansweepof their respective competitions. All the girls taking partwereacredittotheschoolandexcelledineachcompetition and performance.

We welcomed about 70 young musicians from all over Scotland at each of our Prep String Days. Some came downfromasfarasAberdeentoreceiveexcellenttuitionfromourinstrumentalstaff.Wehave14instrumentalstaffintheschoolteaching148individuallessons every week. I am very thankful for all their hard work as they teach and mentor the girls on their instruments/voice.

OurbusyyearfinishedwiththeJuniorYearsandL4’s performance of Alice in Wonderland. The music department’saimtodevelopconfidentandhappyperformers was certainly evident as the girls gave such wonderful performances in the show and indeed in every single event this year.

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6

A s I stare out of the window into the darknessandseemyselfreflectedimperfectly back, it gives me pause.

Pause to evaluate my life to date. Pause to ask thesignificantquestions:WhoamI?WhatamIdoing here? Where am I going? The fact that I’m sitting in a soundproofed practice room, listening toAlexTurnerandMattHelders‘SnapoutofIt’inmy headphones is a good place to start. Perhaps itmaybeahugecliché,butlikemanyotherpeople, I know I would be lost without the music I rely on every day.

They say that the environment we grow up in has anundoubtedinfluenceonthepersonwegrowuptobe.It’snotdifficult,then,formetotracemyobsession with music back to one man: my Dad. Nooffencetotheoldman,hecouldnotplayaninstrument or sing if his life depended on it! But he has always been fanatical about music. His eclectic taste in music ranges from punk rock to orchestral dance music and jazz. You may think that this means he is not judgmental about music, but he is probably the pickiest person I have ever met. In a good way, obviously; he’s my Dad after all. I understandthesedaysjusthowimportantIfinditto gain his approval in my music, and how this in turn–muchtomyMum’smortification–hasledto my becoming more and more like him. Like him, IamextremelydiscriminatoryinthemusicIlistento,althougheverynowandagain,Ifindmygroovein the least likely places (such as Justin Bieber) – we all have our secret pleasures!

The thought of bursting into song and playing the air drums often comes to my mind when walking down the street. My body feels like it is going to overtake my brain and just as I am about toexplodeintobedroomrockstarmode,Igetthat split second of realisation that I am in fact in a busy public place and not in my little cave of a bedroom. I never let myself do it although perhaps I should one day. What would be the harm of it? Why is a person who is totally engulfed in their own little world judged for doing what they want? Society only judges others on what they look like and what actions they take. This is why I love music

because it takes me to another world, where being oneself is the best way to be. For me, drumming takes me to that same place. The moment I sit on the stool behind the drum kit, I feel indestructible. It is like my shiny protective armour that could protect me from everything and anything. Dead Prez says in his song ‘Hip Hop,’ “One thing ‘bout music when it hit, you feel no pain” which I can relate to, even if many people would think I’msilly or mad for this idea.

I am not necessarily what all teachers or other pupils would call ‘the clever one’ or ‘a great role model’. In the past this has bothered me and made me feel as though I am not as ‘good’ as otherpeople.However,duetoafewdifferentfactors, especially the constant support from my Mother,Ifeelmoreconfidentinmyselfnow.Musichelps me to be myself and believe more in myself. Perhaps I am not as clever, organized or popular as other people. That no longer worries me and actually only pushes me further to achieve in my drumming. Every day I only get better. Drumming is a huge part of my life and really helps me control my emotions and keeps me balanced. I am so glad I managed to persuade my parentsforthatfirsteverdrumlesson.

Somewhere in my school, I saw a quotation on a board, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough”. It really stuck with me. Of course, one of my dreams is to become a famous drummer and to be an inspiration to others.

I think this dream does scare me as if I achieve it, I am sure the journey to get there will be a rocky one. Without the fantastic support I receive from my peculiar parents and crazy sisters, I do not think I would be able to have such amazing opportunities. I think that no matter where you come from, what you believe in and what your passions are, you can always achieve and be the best that you can be. It does not matter if someone else does not share the same taste in music – they may still turn out to be a great person – even better, of course, if I can change what they perceive to be ‘good music’!

“i want to join a band and pLay in front of Crazy fansyes, i CaLL that teMptation

Give Me the MeLody that’s aLL that i ever needthe MusiC is My saLvation.”

Lost in Music, sister sLedge


THE POWER OF MUSICLEONIE BRINK L6

45

This means that music is the language of emotions. Music does not need words and is understood by everyone, young or old.

I discovered music at an early age. My mother used to sing German folk songs to us as children. By October every year we would start singing Christmas songs. That was why my sister and I were able to sing lots of Christmas carols for my grand-parents. My grandfather would be sitting in his armchair, reading the newspaper. When he heard us singing he put aside the paper and justlistened.Hisfacerelaxed,heclosedhiseyes.Mygrandmother emerged from the kitchen and joined us. She knew all the words by heart. Even as a child, I had the impression that there were emotions in the air. When my grandparents recalled their childhoods, they would often talk about Christmas in the post-war period with their parents because the Christmas carols made them feel nostalgic.

Our situation at home changed when I started playing therecorderattheageofseven.Myfirstsopranorecorder was a very cheap one, made completely of plastic. It had a hard glassy sound and a high shrill tone which my grandfather found unpleasant. He compared my beloved instrument to a broken saw! It was true that the recorder tended to clog up with moisture easily and repeatedlyandthenitwasdifficulttogetagoodtone.Sometimes I wondered about the strange chirping and metallic ringing coming from my recorder. I kept on practising every day in the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom in front of the mirror and was so pleased and proud of how I played. However, sometimes my grandfather would ask me to go to the cellar to do my musicpracticewhichIfoundrathertough.Myfirstwooden recorder had a much more pleasant tone than my plastic instrument. I improved my recorder playing technique and I was able to play without too much embarrassment in an ensemble or in a concert at the music school. It is always said that the recorder is an easy instrument to start playing, but it is surprisingly difficulttoplaywell.SomeyearslaterIplayedbaroquemusic, pieces by Purcell, Telemann, Corelli and Johann Sebastian Bach. My grandparents were always enthusiastic and proud that I could play such music and they even allowed me to play the recorder in the living room!

The recorder was a relatively quiet instrument, compared to the clarinet, which I started at the age of thirteen. My grandparents do not have a sound-proofed

home, so I was back in the cellar. The beginning was not easy. It required a high level of breath pressure, there was an embouchure to develop and I had to get used to the reeds. The clarinet has a much larger range than the recorder. It can be played much more dynamically and with a greater control of tone. After quite a long time, I felt able to really sing with my clarinet. I joined the Dresden Youth Orchestra. When performing with the orchestra,Ilive100%inthepresent.Imoveforwardintime with the beat of the baton. So many of the senses are engaged: from reading the notes to looking up at theconductor;physicallyexecutingwhatisbeingaskedin the music; listening and responding to how all instruments weave and blend together.

It is hard to describe the power of music. You can feel joy,sadness,exhilaration,nostalgia,hope,comfort,peace and torment when stirred by a piece of music. When listening to ‘The Four Seasons’ by Vivaldi, you can almost feel the sense of hope of Spring with the violins. The music sounds like the melting of the last snow and theflowersstartingtoappear.Youcanimaginegoingalong a river, in the fresh warm air of Spring and seeing all the colours shining. It makes you feel happy. Summer then starts slowly but the listener can feel the tension of the hot weather which often leads to thunderstorms heardintheveryexcitingmiddlepart.Autumnstartswith a serene melody, the music sounds frosty. You can almost see the colourful leaves falling from the trees. For Winter, the listener can feel the bone-chilling cold, represented by the high sounds of the violin.This section is the longest which might have been intentional on Vivaldi’s part because winter often seems to be the longest season.

Imaginemultiplyingtheeffectsoflisteningtomusic100-fold and you get an idea how it feels to perform a piece. When playing the clarinet, I can feel the music flowingthroughme.Itisaveryrealenergy.Youconnectwith the conductor and everyone else on a kind of spirituallevel.Withoutthisexperience,IdonotbelieveI would have ever had the courage to leave my family for a whole year and come to Kilgraston. All my homesickness would disappear in the music as I discovered that I could practise the clarinet and be part of an ensemble at school.

The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was absolutely right, when he said: “Music is the universal language of mankind.”

the frenCh poet, viCtor huGo, wrote, “MusiC expresses that whiCh Cannot be said and on whiCh it is iMpossibLe to be siLent”.

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DRAMA

throuGhout My tiMe at kiLGraston, draMa has been a LarGe part of the experienCe. as this year’s draMa prefeCt, i was abLe to beCoMe even More invoLved in the departMent as a whoLe.

EMILY SCOTT U6, DRAMA PREFECT

W e continued with the school’s Drama club in which we rehearsed scenes from The Wardrobe by

Sam Holcroft. The Higher class performed extractsfromplaysforourfinalperformancewith pieces ranging from Mary Stuart which looksatthefinaldaysofMaryQueenofScots’ life and Elizabeth I’s deliberations over herfate,toTheFoxCatcherwhichdepictsafuturewherefoxesareblamedforthecountry’sproblemsandprofessionalfoxcatchers are sent out to rid the country of them. In my Higher class, both Jenny and Hannah designed and made costumes for performances with Jenny focusing on The Crucible by Arthur Miller and Hannah concentrating on Mary Stuart.

GirlsofallagessattheirLAMDAexamsinAprilwithninemembersoftheSixthForm-including eight leavers - achieving Distinction. Attheendoftheseexams,wesaidgoodbyeto our LAMDA teacher, Ms Ness who has taught at the school for several years. I know that everyone she taught will miss her very much and we are grateful for all of her hard work and help.

Finally, the Junior School’s performance of Alice in Wonderland in June astounded audiences with the diverse range of talents displayed by the younger girls - singing, acting and dancing - with the guidance and support of Mrs Scott and Mr McAuley who did a fantastic job getting the production ready.

47COR UNUM 2017


BEING ALICE it is a hard roLe to be aLiCe in this show beCause you need to put in tiMe and effort to Learn your Lines as best as you Can and to know your aCtions as weLL as you Can.

POLLY CAVE L4

I auditioned for Alice because I have always wanted to be on stage where people can see me sing and dance. Last year, I had a small part in the school play when I was a fairy and

itgavemesuchabigsparkofexcitementandenergy I wanted more. So that is why I auditioned for Alice this year.

Mrs Scott was very happy to give me the role. She knew I was nervous but she helped me get through it to perform a great show. I can’t imagine how much work and time she put into the show butitmadeallthedifferencetowhatwewereableto achieve. Mr McAuley did a lot of work too. It was hisfirstschoolshowandhedidverywell.

Every day of rehearsals I went into the theatre and felt more and more like Alice. All the help from Mrs Scott and Mr McAuley gave me so much. I thank them greatly for all they did for me and my fellow cast of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Every day, all the cast would start blurting out some of our favourite songs in the play, singing at the top of ourlungs;attheenditwouldleaveusallinfitsofgiggles. Sometimes Mr McAuley joined in. I have to say that is one of the highlights of doing the school play. If I were asked to do another school play, my answer would be a big YES! It was an amazing experienceandIwouldlovetodoitagain.

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LAMDA

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ART AND DESIGNGILLIAN MACLEOD, HEAD OF ART AND DESIGN

our Creative praCtiCe is infLuenCed by our individuaL experienCes, inCLudinG soCiaL, CuLturaL and historiCaL and is hiGhLy personaL.

A key part of the department’s philosophy is encouraging that individual creativity. Based on their key strengths and personal interests, Ms Martin and I encourage the girls to identify

and study artists, designers and media that will help themdevelopandachievetheirdifferentaspirations. Thisindividualitywasreflectedinthe2017exhibition.

here is a ‘snapshot.’

JENNY CAPLAN (A-LEVEL TEXTILES)

Jennychosetorespondtotheexaminationtopic,‘WarGames.’Herextensiveresearchanddevelopment work culminated in the creation ofamagnificentdress,armletsandneckpiece.Militaria, computer 3-D modelling and Jenny’s own poetry inspired her fabric print. Referencing the multifaceted structures of guns and Samurai armour,shewentontomakehercomplex finaldesign.

MEGAN MCCAIG (A-LEVEL FINE ART)

Megexploredanimalsintheirnaturalenvironmentfor her Personal Investigation. She analysed structure, formandtexture,specificallylookingatShetlandsheep,usingarangeofdifferentmedia.TheworksofMurilloand contemporary artist, Martin Hill, were important influencersindevelopingherbeautifuldrawings, mono-prints and paintings.

SOPHIE DOWNES (A-LEVEL TEXTILES)

Respondingtotheexaminationtopic,‘Translucent,’Sophie’sphotographsofjellyfish,takenattheLondonAquarium, proved to be a fantastic inspirational source. Clearx-rayimagesoftheskeletalstructuresoffishandseahorses also inspired. Ultimately, Sophie employed free-machine embroidery and screen-printing to create alargetextileinstallation.

as three very personal creative journeys move on from Kilgraston, we wish them well on the next stage of their exciting voyage.


A LEVEL ARTSOPHIE DOWNES U6

takinG a LeveL art this year has been a fabuLous end to My tiMe in the art departMent at kiLGraston. froM reCeption to upper sixth, i have aLways had an enthusiastiC approaCh to anythinG art based and have Loved every MoMent of it.

T aking A Level Art this year was a huge jump from Higher, due to the amount

ofworkexpectedaswellasthetime required to be dedicated to the subject.

This year has had its low and tough points where I pushed myself to the limit, but these were all forgotten when I was lucky enoughtobeofferedaplaceatallthree Art schools in Scotland – The Glasgow School of Art, Edinburgh College of Art and Duncan of Jordanstone. After a lot of hard thought, I decided to accept Glasgow School of Art to study TextileDesignnextyear.Icannotwait to get started!

Choosing the themes for design projects is always a daunting, tricky process which requires considerable thought. For my personal investigation, my eyes lit up over a discussion about musicals. Therefore, I embarked on the topic of ‘Theatre’ looking at backstage theatre and mechanics, advertisements shown through the signs of Broadway as well as theeffectsofstagelightingonthe audience: aspects of theatre that may be hidden when gripped by the action unfolding on stage. Research into work by a variety of designers and artists provided me with heaps of inspiration to startmyownexperimentationwithmaterialmanipulation.Myfinalpiece, ‘The Untold Story of Theatre’ is a piece of wearable art created from a hand drawn rope pattern onto fabric which was then cut and pieces interlocked. Shoulder pieceswithflashesofneonorangeto represent the Broadway lights

were also added to the design. Ibelievethatthisfinalpiecedraws together some of the often forgotten strands of theatre in a bold and fun wearable art textilepiece.

My second project developed around the word ‘Translucent’ – allowing light, but not detailed shapes, to pass through. After researching a variety of topics that could proceed from this theme, I settled on the translucency of life underwater with a focus ontheformofjellyfishandfishskeletons.Creatingatextilefocused installation rather than a fashion piece has been my boldest project so far – yet it is one I have thoroughlyenjoyed!Myfinalpiece,‘Translucency of Life Underwater’ was created from three sheer bannersoffabriccutandfinishedto size, with my drawings of sea creatures screen-printed onto them (a process that requires a lot of patience as I discovered!). Between these banners are hand cut organdie tendrils, stitched and gathered to create the correct formandembroideredjellyfishstructures moulded into rounded shapes. Overall, I am really pleased with the outcome of this piece, asitiscompletelydifferentfromanything I had ever done before.

Art at Kilgraston has allowed me to expressmyselfinawaynoothersubject can.

The memories and skills I have picked up from this Department will stick with me forever and I can’t thank Miss Macleod and Ms Martin enough for everything they have done for me!

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LITTLE LIGHT

JENNY CAPLAN U6

the light is a sheath‘tis thoughts beliefto protect mirrored edgealive and well or the unearthly hell.

Lit alight the last dying flightIn black void, Infinite heightdown below, face demiseLiving life, photosynthesised.

Off and on, till, dusk to dawnforever in timeto the rhythm of rhyme.


HIGHER ARTAnna Sinkova lino cut 2017

DashaPopovaHigherdevelopmentexpressive

EveRytsonhareexpressive2017

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LOWER 4

NAT 5Hannah Morrison L4

Maria Ebrahim L4

Yustina Volskaya U5


ENGLISH

now that the CurriCuLuM for exCeLLenCe is firMLy eMbedded in the iMproveMent and teaChinG pLans for the enGLish departMent, we have

been abLe to eMbraCe MuCh of the phiLosophy whiCh underpins the prospeCtus in our extraCurriCuLar provision.

TIM KEARNS, HEAD OF ENGLISH

W hilst Poetry Society has continued to attract the brightest and most enthusiastic students across the school, its impetus is now being driven by them,

and their achievements are noteworthy. Joining their Wall of Words – a display board which they maintain in order to showcase their work – there has been a huge interest in blogging.

Not limited in scope to the members of the Poetry Society, the provision and oversight of platforms on which students can reach a wider audience with their writingandtheirreflectionsontheirprivatereadinghasbeen a highly popular development. We are now able tooffertheestablishmentandmaintenanceofablogas a criterion for satisfaction of the English component ofthenewKilgrastonDiploma.Butitisthebenefitsoutwith the school which are most encouraging. Students are seeing up to eighty hits per post, which isenablingthemtodevelopinconfidenceandrange.

As we move into our second year of the Kilgraston Diploma, we are pleased to be introducing a new departmental contribution to the programme – the extracreditunit.Thiswillallowstudentswholiketochallenge themselves to take on a guided reading challenge based on a prewritten scheme and produce

evidence of having engaged critically with a canon text.Welookforwardtoevaluatingthepopularity andeffectivenessofthisinnovationnextyear.

In terms of reading, we were pleased to reintroduce the Reading Challenge to the senior school this year. Reading Challenge encourages students to seek sponsorship to take on a personal reading goal, with the money raised going towards stocking children’s wards in hospitals with books for longer-stay patients. Over£500wasraisedbythosetakingpartandasubstantial number of books consumed.

Lookingforwardtonextyear,weareplanningtoincrease participation in UN-style debates across the school, having hosted two highly successful events this year. In addition, those students wishing to prepare for Law-based destinations will be able to participate in a range of activities planned around a wider understandingoflegalissuesandagreaterproficiencyin the forensic construction of arguments.

Dissertations undertaken by Advanced Higher students this year include a critical appreciation of True Crime, the use of allegory in fantasy literature and the psychiatric insights of literary memoirs.

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CLOUD OF HOPE

You’re lying on pure green grass,Surrounded by bushes and berries.Looking up, all you see,Is a bright blue sky, and white-grey clouds.

One day, after years of dreaming,Youflyuptotheclouds,withyourwingsoflight,To build a castle of dreams and hope,Which you’ll live in, dreaming every day.

You’veflown,nevercrashed,mydear,So you go to the cloud, to build your castle.You’re told you can only see a cloud,Can’t touch it, hold it, lie on it.Butyou’reanexception.

The castle is built, of aspirations and perseverance,Yet nothing but light is there.When others reach the top, the castle will be shared,For as they say “Every cloud has a silver lining,” But yours, my dear, is pure gold.

BELIEVEAMY HEAFEY L4

Gentle swish of waveBlue sky and clear water, Nothing better,I feel

Northern lights,Aurora Borealis.Dark sky, shining, striking stars,Green, blue, pink, purple. Endless

Swirls,likechalkdustflyingdark sky artist’s blackboard. Overflowoffeelings,Billow in the head windLeaving me with

Nothing.


GEOGRAPHY ON TOURDR CARL PHILLIPS, HEAD OF GEOGRAPHY

the first GeoGraphy fieLd trip of the year, in earLy septeMber, saw the upper fourth students spend a day at GLenshee as part of their ‘GLaCiated LandsCapes’ topiC.

T o say that the weather let us down would be something of an understatement, but thestaffattheGlenshee

Ski Centre were very accommodating. After spending the morning drawing fieldsketchesoftheviewacrosstheglacialvalleythroughthecaféwindowswhilst drinking hot chocolate, the rain eased in the afternoon and allowed us to venture outside and complete a gradientprofilingexercisefromtheSkiCentredowntothevalleyfloorandpartway up the opposite slope. As well as complementing our study of glaciated landscapes, the data also provided the basis for a series of follow-up study tasksoverthefirsthalfterm.Aftercompletingthegradientprofile,thestudents returned to school, looking somewhat rugged, windswept and interesting.

On the following weekend, the Higher and Advanced Higher Geography groups attended a three-day residential course at the Kindrogan Field Studies Centre. On the afternoon of our arrival, thegirls–AnnaBaxter,MillieBrown,Lara Melville and Sophie Downes – collected data on soil depth and composition, vegetation cover and species diversity along a catena in the grounds of Kindrogan House. After tea, Friday evening was then spent analysing the data using the Pearson product-moment correlation. Similarly, Saturday was spent collecting data on river channel geomorphology and hydrology along the Allt Doire nan Eun, with Saturday evening spent analysing the data using Spearman’s rank correlation.Geomorphologicalprofilingof glacial deposits awaited the girls on Sunday morning, before we headed back to school in the afternoon,

thoroughlyexhaustedbutvery well prepared for their Higher Assignment and Advanced Higher Geographical Study.

On one morning at the end of September, and then another at the start of February, it was the turn of the Lower Fifth Geography classes toboardthe(figurative)GeographyTour Bus, when the National 5 classes spent a morning collecting data on river channel width and depth, channel velocity and sediment size and shape along Ballo Burn in Abernethy, followed by another morning in Perth collecting data on land use, building heights,trafficandpedestrianflows,and environmental quality at three locations heading south from Dunkeld RoadalongBarrackStreetandfinishingon the High Street in order to test howwellPerthfitstheBurgessModel.These trips were timed to correspond to the teaching of the ‘Urban’ and ‘Rivers and Valleys’ topics, but they also provided the data that will also be used by the girls during Upper 5 to complete their National 5 Assignments.

Winter duly turned to Spring, and Lower Fourth enjoyed a day at the Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh as part of their ‘Restless Earth’ topic. Their day included a guided tour that went four billion years back in time to view the formation of the Earth, then brought the girls back through to the present dayviatheextinctionofthedinosaurs,aseriesoficeagesandaflightintothe West African tropical rainforest. There was also time for a workshop on designing earthquake-proof buildings, andtoenjoyafilmonsuper-volcanoes(narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch) in the 360° Showdome.

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RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONS OF 1917CRISTINA COELLEN L6

O ver the past few years, there have been a number of interesting anniversaries: from the centenary in 2014 of the beginning of the First World War to the more recent

anniversary in 2017 of the Reformation initiated by Martin Luther in Germany 500 years ago. In Western Europe, we may be neglecting that the year 2017 is the centenary of the Russian Revolution. In fact, it is even a double anniversary of two Revolutions: the February Revolution, which started “in the bread queue”, as historian Orlando Figes described it, and the October Revolution, which occurred later in the year and marked thefinaladventofchaosintheoncesoglamorousTsaristEmpire.Where,however,isthesignificance of this particular centenary to anyone who is not Russian themselves?

First of all, it is certainly relevant to every Kilgraston girl embarking on Higher History, as the study of the Russian Revolution is a vital part of the course. While atfirstsightitmightnotbeatopictobetackledwithjoy,itsimportanceinahistoricalcontextaswellasamodern one should not be underestimated. Takingplacein1917,theRussianRevolutiondefactoposed a considerable threat to the outcome of the simultaneously ongoing Great War, in which Russia fought in alliance with Britain and France, thus keeping Germany and Austria partly occupied on the Eastern Front. Russia’s inner unrest however forced it to surrender early to the German Empire, which almost allowed the latter to catch her breath back, and put severe pressure on the Western Front held by Britain and France. The intervention of the United States in this case cannot be stressed enough, but that is another story.

The fact that Russia was being devoured by chaos was drastic enough on its own, yet the fear of the revolutionary spark spreading to other countries

amplifiedtheimpactoftheeventsinRussia.Germanyactuallyexperiencedmutiniesandarevolutiontowardsthe end and shortly after the war.

The fear of revolution was imminent even in Scotland – the term ‘Red Clydeside’ may still be remembered with some negative connotations. Luckily, these events equally feature in the Higher History course, which puts me in a position to relate them to the Russian Revolution as their root cause. Seen from today’s viewpoint, the strikes and protests of factory workers inandaroundGlasgowfrom1915to1919,wereactually motivated by workers wanting to improve their conditions, and far from revolutionary, as has often been claimed. Obviously, we can never know for certain how serious the situation truly was, but the government’s reaction did have symptoms of hysteria, undoubtedly catalysed by the recent revolution in Russia. How else could the fact that tanks were sent intoGlasgowbeexplained?

Asweknow,Scotlandultimatelydidnotexperiencea revolution, but that does not alter the nature of revolutions being a recurring phenomenon in the historyofhumanity.Theycertainlyrequireextremediscontent within a population in order to evoke the radical change they commonly bring about, as illustrated with the overhaul of the system in Russia. Yet precisely due to this recurring nature we should notunderestimatethesignificanceofsomethingthatseems to have taken place such a long time ago – modernexamplessuchastheArabSpringandtheresultingconflictandunrestcontinuetoaffectsocieties,andlookingatthepastcanbeaneffectivemeansofunderstanding the present. This centenary should remind us that, in the end, it mightnotonlybeexamresultsthatcountbutalsodeveloping the knowledge that allows us to draw parallels between yesterday and today and to put things into perspective.

anyone with the sLiGhtest interest in history wiLL probabLy be aware of the nuMerous anniversaries that oCCur.


LATIN AND CLASSICSANNIE BLUETT, HEAD OF LATIN AND CLASSICS

one Can onLy feeL a LittLe bit optiMistiC about the state of CLassiCs.

T wo Advanced Higher Latin girls, Daisy Galbraith and Laura Meiklem have been wrestlingwithOvidandthefinerpointsoftranslatingelegantlyfromLatintoEnglishandatHigherwehadnofewerthansevengirlssittingtheexam.Thereareslightlysmallernumberscomingthroughinthenexttwoyears,butthereishealthyinterest

in a subject still seen as something of a trump card with universities looking for students with a slightlydifferentviewonlife!

This year the rolling programme of “Bluett Tours” during the October Half Term took us to Rome andPompeiiagain.Bywayofachange,ourpartyofthirtygirlsandfivestaffstartedthistimeinRome. We arrived (minus a couple of items of luggage) in the pouring rain – which was a slightly inauspicious start but staying in the wonderful rooms in the former Sacred Heart Convent beside the Trinità dei Monti made up for everything. What a view!

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The programme involved Mass in the Church of the Trinità,visitingtheCatacombs,extensivewalksroundthecitytakingintheCircusMaximus,thePantheon, the Villa Borghese, the Fontana delle Tartarughe (my absolute favourite fountain in the whole of Rome and there are plenty to choose from), the Piazza Navona, the Fontana di Trevi and everyone’s favourite helpings of pizza, pasta and gelati.

Where it has to be said, they brought down the average age quite considerably and delighted the other more mature guests!

The weather could have been a little kinder (usually we reckon on being able to swim in the sea in October) but we only got really wet on the firsteveningandotherwiseawonderful time was hadby all.

Having left Rome, we paused at the truly spectacular VillaAdrianaatTivolitowalkroundtheextensiveruinsofprobablyoneofthemostextraordinarysitesinItalyand then drove on to Sorrento. While in Sorrento for a few days, we visited both Pompeii and Herculaneum anddrovedownviaAmalfitoseethebeautifulGreektemples at Paestum.

We also walked up round the crater of Vesuvius on a perfectlycleardayaffordingfabulousviewsoftheBayofNaples. More ice cream was consumed, the hotel pool was sampled and some of the girls led the dancing at the hotel “disco night”.


LIBRARY

MATHEMATICS

BRIDGET SPURGIN, LIBRARIAN

STEPHANIE SPEED, HEAD OF MATHEMATICS

erin rennie was this year’s Library prefeCt: she ran a popuLar book CLub and GenerousLy brouGht in refreshMents to enCouraGe partiCipation.

S everal keen readers wrote reviews and made suggestions.Forexample,IsabelGilmoreHeezen,Ruby Forbes and Hannah-Rose Laverick in L4

recommended Journey to the River Sea, Jane Eyre, Wonder, One, Itch, Shiver, The Wolf Princess, Murder Most Unladylike, Anne of Green Gables, The Door that led to Where, New Moon and Ring of Bright Water. Book display themes included Animals around the World; Antarctica; Inspirational People for Social Awareness; William Shakespeare; Canada 150.

Considerable academic research has been published on the value and impact of school libraries and how reading for enjoyment assists with developing emotional and study skills. It is ever more vital to aim at fostering a lifelong love of reading and developing information literacy. Thank you to everyone who has helped to support the Library this year.

The Mathematics Department has enjoyed another busy year. The girls worked hard across the board to produce some

excellentexaminationresultsinthe2016sitting. The results are as follows:

Level grade AB % national AB %

National4U5 100%passed

National 5 U5 72 46

Higher 74 53

AH Maths 100 58

Girls from L4 and above also enjoyed entering both the UK Mathematics Challenge and the Scottish Mathematics Challenge. These Challenges are designed to promote mathematical thinking and problem solving skills. Thegirlsachieved18certificatesacrosstheChallenges. Erica deserves special mention as shealsoqualifiedforthefollowonround: the Intermediate Pink Kangaroo Challenge.

challenge Best in year school year cert.

Senior Teresa Matamoro U6 Silver

Senior Lissie Cook L6 Bronze

Inter Erica Zhou U5 Gold

Inter Gemma Collins L5 Silver

Junior MhairiKnox U4 Silver

Junior Tallie Fyfe L4 Bronze

The girls from U5 enjoyed a STEM day with Babcock Engage Engineers working in teams, using their mathematics skills to solve real life engineering problems. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and the girls made some interesting structures using art materials.

As ever the girls can always be relied upon to join in with all opportunities opened to them; their enthusiasm and commitment to their studies is second to none.

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MODERN LANGUAGES ANDREW FYNN, HEAD OF MODERN LANGUAGES

it has been a suCCessfuL year for the Modern LanGuaGes departMent. our sqa exaMination resuLts were exCeLLent:aCross aLL LanGuaGes at nationaL 5, hiGher and advanCed hiGher LeveLs a fantastiC 80% of Candidates aChieved a top

a Grade and every sinGLe GirL passed their LanGuaGes exaMs.

T hisreflectsthehardworkofthegirlsandstaffand everyone should be congratulated on their achievements. This year we presented candidates for French, German, Spanish,

Russian and Mandarin so it really was a multicultural effort!TheKilgrastonModernLanguageDepartmentconsistently outperforms our peers in other schools in Scotlandintermsofexaminationresultsandweareproud to uphold a strong tradition of academic success.

Of course, life in the department is not just about academic success. One of our key aims is to maintain anddevelopoverseaslinks.Ourlongstandingexchangewith the Sacred Heart School Marmoutier in France has existedformanyyearsandwewerethrilledtobeableto welcome a group of 11 French students and two of their teachers to Kilgraston in February 2017. The group stayed with us for 10 days. During that time they attended lessons in school and they also wentonexcursionstoEdinburgh,StAndrewsandFalkland Palace.

The French girls were also warmly welcomed by host familiesforaweekendandwereabletoexperiencefirst-handauthenticlifeinaScottishhousehold.AlexandraMcAdamhaswrittenaboutthis.Ireceivedsome very positive feedback from the group about theirexperienceandIknowthattheyreallyappreciatedtheeffortswhichtheKilgrastongirlsandstaffmadeforthe duration of their stay.

It should not be overstated just how valuable this Sacred Heart link is in terms of enriching our school ethos and to promote international friendship and understanding.Thereturnlegoftheexchangetookplace in May (thank you to Mrs Bluett for all her help) and you can read an account of the trip in a separate article written by Molly Peeters and Pip Forster.

At the beginning of the academic year we held a seriesofquizzestomarktheofficialEuropeanDayofLanguages on September 26th and there was also a whole-school assembly to highlight this special day. OneofthehighlightsoftheyearwastheSixthFormtrip to the Multilingual Debate at Heriot-Watt University. This is an event which we attend most years and it is a fabulous way for Kilgraston students to see how languages are actively used in the workplace and really gives them an insight into the world of multilingualism. The motion for debate was, “This House believes that sport is key in solving social integration issues”. The speakers on both sides spoke in English, French, German and Spanish. Their speeches were simultaneously translated into other languages by Heriot-Watt students, who were stationed in booths to the side of the stage. The audience were able to follow proceedings by choosing various channels on their audio headsets. It took a while for everyone to get used tosomanydifferentlanguagesbeingusedatthesametime but as the debate went on, we were able to follow more closely. After the main speakers had made their points, the audience were able to ask questions which made the debate more interactive.

Theexperienceshowedjusthowimportantitisforusalltobeabletounderstandandspeakdifferentlanguages, particularly in such a multicultural world. Languages open doors, encourage international cooperation and friendship and enable us all to take on a broader view of events.

I would like to conclude by sincerely thanking my dedicatedteamofMmeDépreuxandMrsLylefortheireffortsthisyear.Theyhaveworkedveryhardandhavemade the department a friendly place to be and truly are the ‘Dream Team’.


FRENCH EXCHANGEALEXANDRA MCADAM U4

This year I took part in the exchangeprogrammewithMarmoutier School in France.

I had two girls come to stay with me, Charlotte and Hortense. They were so friendly and although they didn’t speak a lot of English we had a great weekend together. On Thursday afternoonwemetforthefirsttime.Iwasvery nervous and worried. What if I ran outofquestionstoask?WhatifIoffendedthem? What if they didn’t understand? However, they seemed grateful for my attempts at some questions in French and soon the ice was broken. I picked them up on Friday night and we drove home. That same night we played monopoly and to my disappointment I lost badly, although I did pridemyselfatnotflippingtheboardover. Over the weekend, we watched movies, went on walks, did some sightseeing and had ice cream. At one point we went to feed some ducks near where I live and they swarmed us in their hundreds (I admit that I was a little scared at that point). We had a great time and although they didn’t really understand what Rugby was or why anyone would play such a violent game, they enjoyed learning about Scotland and what we get up to here.

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ANDREW FYNN, HEAD OF MODERN LANGUAGES

ASSEMBLY FOR THE EUROPEAN DAY OF

LANGUAGES

bonjour. Guten MorGen. buenas dias. buonGiorno!

The European Day of Languages (EDL) is celebrated on 26th September every year. It aims to promote the rich linguistic diversity

of Europe and raise awareness of the importance of lifelong language learning for everyone. Set up by the CouncilofEurope,itwasfirstcelebratedin2001.

How many languages do you think are spoken in Europe?Theanswerisapproximately225–whichisroughly3%oftheworld’stotal.Sincetheendofthe18th century, the European language which is most widespread in terms of geography and the numberof native speakers has been Russian. If native speakers arecounted,approximately150millionEuropeansspeak Russian, followed by German, English, French, Italian, Polish, Ukrainian and Romanian. As far as foreign languages studies are concerned, English is currently the most popular in Europe, followed by German, French, Italian, Russian and Spanish. Incidentally, throughout the whole world there are between 6,000 and 7,000 languages.

At least half of the world’s population are considered to be bilingual or multilingual. There is a need to generate a greater interest in languages among European citizens, no more so than in the UK where the reputation for language learning is not good. Languages areconstantlyincontactandaffecteachotherinmanyways:Englishborrowedwordsandexpressionsfrommany other languages in the past while European languages are now borrowing many words from English.

Most European languages belong to three broad groups: Germanic, Romance and Slavic. Although most European languages use the Latin alphabet, some Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet while Greek, Armenian, Georgian and Yiddish have their own alphabets. There are several regional or minority languages–forexample,intheUK,wehaveGaelic,Cornish and Welsh to name a few. As migrants and refugees arrive in new countries, they bring their own languages with them. In London alone, some 300 languages are spoken such as Hindi, Punjabi, Guajarati, Berber, Arabic, Turkish and Kurdish.

Some words are unique to the language and not easily translated. In English, ‘higgledy-piggledy’ means disordered and jumbled and was probably used initially with reference to the disordered herding together ofpigs.InFinnish,‘kuunsilta’meansthereflectionof the moon when it is low in the sky and shining on the surface of a lake. The Old Icelandic word, ‘eldhus-fifi’meansanoddpersonwhositsalldaybythefire.Germanisnotoriousforitslongwordssuchas,‘Bleistiftherstellungsrichtlinienkontrollbüro’(officeforthe control of guidelines for the production of pencils).

So why is language learning important for us? Knowledge of another language brings with it many benefits:suchasmakingthelearningofadditionallanguages easier, enhancing the thinking process and fostering contacts with other people and their cultures. It opens doors in terms of careers or travel and encourages building friendships across the world.We need to understand other cultures to appreciate the impact of global events. Cultural and linguistic understanding enables us to be knowledgeable and compassionate individuals, particularly important in a worldseeminglyfullofnarrow-mindedness,conflictandignorance. We need future generations to understand andappreciatetherichnessofculturesanddifferenceswhichexistaroundtheworld.Thereisnoneedtobecompletelyfluent,itisstillworthwhiletolearnsomething of a language and appreciate the culture that goes with it.

Peace is so important and fragile and too many of us take it for granted, and forget that it can be threatened when people do not understand other cultures. When you learn a language, always remember that you are also learning about another culture, you are learning about another country’s issues, you are opening doors for yourself in later life, you are an outward looking socially aware global citizen who can think and act rationally and with compassion towards other people. We give thanks for all the cultures and nations represented here at Kilgraston and pray that we may aspire to learn about and appreciate the value of other cultures throughout our lives.


RELIGIOUSEDUCATION

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

STEPHEN JOHNSTON, HEAD OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

“we CuLtivate a very sMaLL fieLd for Christ. but we Love it, knowinG that God does not require Great aChieveMents, but a heart that hoLds baCk nothinG for seLf.”

saint rose Philippine duchesne

In the same spirit of the Society of Sacred Heart patrons, ReligiousEducationatKilgrastonaimstoofferstudentsa well-rounded curriculum, combining spiritual and

intellectual training, rooted in Christ’s Gospel message. Students have taken part in a broad range of academic study of the subject. From Lower Fifth upwards, girls at Kilgraston study the RMPS (Religious Moral and Philosophical) curriculum for National 5 and Higher. This academic study of Religion, Ethical and Philosophical issues really helps students to think and reflectonbiggerissuesoflife.

ANNA WRIGHT U6(PrizeWinnerforHigherRMPSin2016/17)

H igher RMPS this year has been a course full of moral twists and philosophical turns. Having covered

a wide variety of topics, from the more fundamental origins of the universe to the practical applications of these beliefs with regard to both criminal justice and the religion of Islam as a wider whole, we have as a class gained a greater understanding of the nature ofhumansandhowthishasaneffectonthe history and current views of the world. We have learned interactively, even visiting a reformative prison when studying religion and justice in order to provide a real-life perspective that we would be unable to gainfromatextbook. Our lessons on Islam have been just as fascinating, not only by enhancing our cultural awareness, but by providing us with a base knowledge that is especially important in the climate of the world today. My personal favourite topic, however, has been that of the origins of our universe, where the philosophical line of thinking has encouraged us to question our beliefs and challenge our own thoughts, teaching us how to think objectively, and yes, at times pedantically, in order to form our own conclusions. In short, the RMPS course has been educational, thought provoking and enlightening, and I enjoyed it all immensely.

Religious Studies also aims to help girls develop their spiritual nature. One of the ways thattheDepartmentofferstoaidthisisbyrunning the school Meditation Club, which embraces Christian and mindfulness practices to help girls on their faith journey.

THE IMPACT OF MEDITATION CLUBALEXANDRA FITZHENRY AND GEMMA COLLINS L5

M editationClubisagoodwaytorelax,afterallthesports and arts the girls participate in and get awayfromthestressofexams,eventsandgeneral

schoollife.It’savaluabletimetoreflectonthingsyouhavedoneandhowyoucanimproveyourlifetobenefityourselfand others. We like the music that we have on in the background; it makes us want to fall asleep and let all our worries go for a short time. It’s very nice that Meditation Club is held in our small, cosy Side Chapel.

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WOODLAND ECOSYSTEM PROJECT

IONA ALDRIDGE U4

in sCienCe CLub this year, jeMiMa Cross, Mhairi knox, aLexandra MCadaM and i Made a red squirreL feeder and a bird tabLe.

W eusedakitofftheinternetforoursquirrelfeeder and after we had built it, we painted itdarkgreyandbluetocamouflagewith

the tree trunk. Grey squirrels have been coming to our squirrel feeder but we hope that the school can take action to drive them away, allowing the endangered reds to come back and reclaim their territory. Speakers from the Red Squirrel Group came and talked to us about how we can help red squirrels and a little history about them so we knew what we were trying to protect.

From the Perthshire Wildlife Group, we learned about what sort of birds we might attract and where to place our bird table. We handmade our bird table as we thoughtthiswouldbemoreeco-friendlyandeffective

andpainteditlightgreentocamouflagewiththe leaves. This also helped to waterproof it. We saw blue tits, tree sparrows, house sparrows, coal tits, great tits and blackbirds at the bird table.

Every day or two, our group went outside to survey our squirrel feeder and bird table with nuts, bird seed, binoculars and a clip board. We wrote down if we saw any birds or animals and what had been taken from our feeders. The woodland ecosystem project has been very enjoyable. Already, we have seen an increase in birdactivityandwecertainlyhopethatoureffortstoconserve the woodland habitat in our school grounds makeadifference.


HEADSTARTBOTANICAL SOCIETY 2017

ANNA BAXTER L6CHARLOTTE BLACKLER, LABORATORY TECHNICIAN

i appLied for the headstart Course baCk in january, More in hope than expeCtation.

ThiswasthefirsttimethatIhaddoneanysortofformalapplication,so I felt that I would have achieved something by just handing it in! Headstart is a charitable trust, part of a nationwide organisation which

offersresidentialcoursesto16-17year-oldswhoarethinkingofstudyingany of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects at university.Ihadtochoosefivecoursesfromoverfiftyatdifferentuniversitiesalloverthecountry.Tomydelightandsurprise,Iwasofferedaweekstudyingelectronics and electrical engineering at Edinburgh University.

Arriving at Pollock Halls in Edinburgh was quite daunting. I knew no one and already I could see groups of students sitting chatting outside on the lawn – but they were all very friendly as everyone was in the same boat. It was an odd feeling to be in the minority of the group as there were only 11 girls outofourgroupof42.Imetpeoplefromalloverthecountry-explainingour system of Highers to the ones from London was interesting! They were enviousthatwemightbeabletogetconfirmeduniversityplacesbeforeweleft school.

Thepurposeofthecourseistogivepotentialstudentsanexperienceofuniversity life and give them more of an insight into studying STEM subjects. Inthesecoursesyouareprettymuchself-sufficient-theydon’twakeyouup in the mornings and the only thing they do is to move you from place to place. You have breakfast and dinner under your own steam. I am a day girlat Kilgraston, so even being in the residential halls for four nights was new to me.

Thecourseitselfwasoverfivedaysandthereweretwopartstoit.Firstly,wewereshownwhattoexpectwhenstudyingforanengineeringdegree.Wehad a couple of sample lectures and were shown around the labs. I loved this bit as we ‘played’ with some of the equipment. We made devices by welding components onto circuits boards and programmed self-driving cars (this was hard as I had never done programming before) and were shown their brand new FloWave wave tank which tests underwater turbines.

The second part gave us an idea about what you might be doing after university. We were taken to an aerospace company, Leonardo, which creates lasersandradar.Welookedroundalabwhereradaristestedunderextremetemperatures, from 60°C to -30°C. I had never seen such a huge amount of liquid nitrogen! We met someone who was doing a ‘Year in Industry’ which is set up by the same organisation as Headstart. You can spend a year after leaving school in a company (and get paid!) before university.

I would recommend anyone who is thinking of studying STEM subjects to consider applying to do a Headstart course. There is no need to be regarded as a straight ‘A’ student - if it is an area that you are interested in, have a go!

In recognition of the growing importance of Plant Science, we have

introduced a new Botanical Society for 2017. Plants form the basis of life on Earth and hold the key to many of the global challenges facing the future of our planet in areas such as food security, conservation, climate change and renewable energy. Meeting once a week in the Spring and Summer terms, girls interested in plant science have the opportunity to hone their horticultural skills by creating a garden plot of their choosing. Garden design, plant propagation and husbandry wereusedtogreateffect. A variety of gardens were produced, ranging from Medicinal to Fairy Grotto. Herbs, radishes, artichokes, purple Brussels sprouts, succulents: the gardenswere a profusion of produce and colour.

Maybe it was all that manure thatdidthetrick…….?

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2017 U6 LEAVERS’ DESTINATIONS

course destinationAnthropology and Sociology University of AberdeenAstrophysics University of St AndrewsAviation Engineering with Pilot Studies Brunel University, LondonBiological Sciences University of DundeeBiomedical Science Abertay University Classical Studies University of EdinburghComputer Arts Abertay UniversityDiagnostic Radiography Robert Gordon UniversityEnglish University of AberdeenEnglish Edinburgh CollegeEnvironmental Geoscience University of EdinburghFrench, Spanish and Latin American Studies University of AberdeenFrench/Politics UniversityofGlasgowFurther Education University of Highlands and IslandsGerman University of GlasgowLaw University of GlasgowLaw with Business Management Edinburgh Napier UniversityMarine Biology University of StirlingMedical Sciences University of EdinburghMedicine University of DundeePhilosophy and Mathematics University of EdinburghPhysics Paris-Sorbonne UniversityPodiatry Glasgow Caledonian UniversityPsychology Edinburgh Napier UniversityPsychology University of Glasgow Psychology QueenMargaretUniversityReligious, Moral and Philosophical Studies and Education University of GlasgowSociology Abertay UniversitySpecial Educational Needs and Disability University of DerbyTextileDesign GlasgowSchoolofArtGap Years UK, France and Japan


IMMORTALMEMORYLILLA SCOTT, HEAD OF DRAMA

the faCt that a Man who Lived in the 18th Century is stiLL so popuLar today is astonishinG. it proves that his works withstand the test of tiMe.

Robert Burns was a poet who really understood the character of his nation

and when I was asked to do the Immortal Memory, my ‘thought tracking’ went something like this “I can’t, I’m not a Scot, in fact I have only just become a British Citizen!” ThenIwentonlineandthefirstImmortal Memory speech I looked at was delivered by a Dundonian in Nadi, Fiji, where I grew up. It seemed to be a good sign so I changed my thinkingto“…okay…maybeIcando this”. It soon became clear that Burns speaks a language that is understood internationally and his words are held in high regard by many. Legendary artist Bob Dylan, whose early songs chronicled social unrest, revealed that ‘A Red, Red Rose’ by Burns is his source of greatest creative inspiration.

Thelanguagehewasmostfluentin wasn’t so much Scots or English – it was and remains the language of the heart; all too human in his personal life, he carried that humanity over onto the page. Nothing was too small or too large to escape his notice, from a mouse in the mud to God in his heavens.A poet for all seasons, Burns speaks to us all, the world over.

Worldwide, there are more statues dedicated to Robert Burns than anyothernon-religiousfigure,afterQueenVictoriaandChristopherColumbus. As well as in Scotland, monuments dedicated to the poet can be found in America, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and France. Burns is commemorated from Tanzania to Delhi, St Petersburg to Dhaka. Robert Burns is also extremelypopularinChinawheremany of his works have been translated into Mandarin so they can be enjoyed by all.

Robert Burns was born on 25 January1759inthevillageofAlloway, near Ayr. His father and mother worked the land, farming. Burns’ early life was marked by constant back-breaking work on a succession of small farms alongside his father who saw to it that, despite the manual labour, he never lacked for education. The young Rabbie loved reading and listening to all the traditional stories and songs at his mother’s knee, so it became quite natural for him to compose his own poems and songs while he worked on the land. One of my favourite contains the immortal line ‘The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley’. John Steinbeck

tookthetitleofhis1937novel‘OfMice and Men’ from this poem To a Mouse which Burns wrote in the winter of 1785 when he accidentally destroyed the nest of a mouse while ploughing. His empathy with the poor creature is palpable and he refers to himself as the wee mouse’s “earth-born companion and fellow-mortal”. It is this very open-heartedness and ability to connect whichdefinesRobertBurns’placein literary history and which makes him so popular the world over.

InJuly1786Poems,ChieflyintheScottish Dialect was published and the almost immediate success of his book changed his plans of emigrating to Jamaica. He was taken up by the Scottish literati and dubbed the ‘Heaven-taughtploughman’.Offhewentto Edinburgh to capitalise on this sudden fame, and, playing up to his new-found reputation, had a most enjoyable time being lionised by the great and the good – he created a striking impression, not just with his poems, but by his good looks, his charm and his ease of conversation in company: it was said that he ‘glowed’ and, judging by his many conquests, he was pretty irresistible, sweepinglassiesofftheirfeetwithwords to take your breath away.

COR UNUM 2017 71

The course of true love never did run smooth and, when Robert Burns died at the early age of37hehadfathered12childrenby4differentwomen, leaving us with the legacy of some of the finestlovepoemsandsongseverwritten.

Hisinfluencealsoextendedtopoliticsathomeandabroad.Forexample,hiswritingsexertedaprofoundeffectuponthelifeandthoughtsof one of the most beloved and important U.S. presidents, Abraham Lincoln. In the early nineteenth century Americans were lacking a majornationalpoetoftheirownandthefledglingfrontier country ardently adopted the poignant verses and songs of Robert Burns. Lincoln was fascinated by Scotland’s favourite son and enthusiastically quoted the Scottish bard by heart from his teenage years to the end of his life.

Burns’ portrayal of the foibles of human nature, his scorn for religious hypocrisy, his plea for non-judgmental tolerance, and his commitment to social equality helped shape Lincoln’s own philosophy of life. Earthly bounds were even transcended when Astronaut Nick Patrick carried a miniature book of Burns poetry on a two week long space mission in 2010. It completed a 5.7 million mile trip and 217 orbits of the earth.

Burns’ song of equality and universal brotherhood also known as ‘A Man’s A Man for a’ That’ was chosen as the anthem to open the new ScottishParliamentin1999andcontributestohis immortal memory.


CATERINGCaterinG at kiLGraston is suppLied throuGh inspire – three tiMes

noMinated and onCe winner of the Cis exCeLLenCe awards.

The Kilgraston team, headed by Dougie MacDonald, has to take much of the credit for these

accolades. Kilgraston may be thought of as a small school but it might not seem like that from the kitchen. A compact team of eleven individuals cater to the all the sustenance needs oftheover300staffandgirlsona daily basis, from breakfast at 7:30am to bed-time snacks in the late evening. Fourchefsandsevensupportstaffprovide a comprehensive service of three meals a day of the highest quality which regularly earn the team Healthy Living Awards.

Beyond the daily routine, Dougie and his team of chefs also lay on banquets several times a year for special occasions, such as Burns Night, St AndrewsNight,SixthFormBallandLeavers’ supper. With Kilgraston at the cutting edge of school sports in Scotland, several match teas and light refreshments in the Pavilion or pitch-side tents have to be supplied.

Promotional and networking events such as the KPA Fair, Open Days, Chairman’s drinks, Old Girls’ reunions,

or Sacred Heart conferences all call for adeliciousspreadofcanapéseitherin Central Hall or The Adam Room. There are many school trips which require packed teas or lunches. And there are also girls with special dietary requirements. And the pressure does not ease up during the holidays.

Thegirlsandteachingstaffmaydisappearoffcampus,buttheyarereplaced by just as many, if not more, mouths to feed with the arrival of the language school, summer sports camps, dance schools, orchestras, and a whole host of other clubs and groups who use the school for a wide range of short courses and activities.

Youonlyhavetostandatthebuffetbarand peer under heat lamps each day to contemplate the carefully chosen and inviting dishes to realise what a world away from the bad old days school food has become. It is now as good as anyfirstclassrestaurant,café,delibaror bistro. One can only hope that the girls appreciate what goes into the food they are being given to eat, not only in terms of ingredients but also daily teameffort!

the catering team: DougieMacdonald,HelenLindsay,LynCarlon,ChrisMacGregor,MargaretRattray,LouiseOgilvie,KarenMilne,LesleyRandal,OwenJeffrey,JimmyVeitch,StevenLiddle.

COR UNUM 2017 73

FRONT OF HOUSE


MRS MACGINTYAN INTERVIEW WITH

How do you see an ideal school?Well, you have to understand that I am very biased and I love Kilgraston, so to me, for girls, Kilgraston is an ideal school. We have been very busy recently with prospective parents and girls coming round and I am always very proud to show them the school and I know that all of the girls who do tours are very proud too. I think the ideal school is Kilgraston, but then I would say that! [laughs].

Are there still some changes you would like to make?At the moment I am looking at the dining hall and in the future, I would like to think about performing arts; meanwhile, we are making some moves in the boarding arrangements for the younger girlswhichareveryexciting.

since the technological breakthrough, are you aiming to change the school in any way?We want to improve communication and Mrs Stott has just been appointed as our Director of Communication. I also aim to build up the relationship with the school in India. We have introduced Computing at National 5 and this is going very well.

How do you deal with discipline issues?We are very lucky here, because the girls have tremendous respect for each other and for themselves. We don’t tend to have many issues but, of course, teenagers will be teenagers. I think our rules are very clear and we have a very good structure, especially with the Year Head system. There is a clear policy on behaviour and discipline.

As a parent, do you have any suggestions for parents to help their children choose the right career path or do you think that this is completely an individual thing?It is an individual thing, but I think young people need a lot of guidance in careers. The opportunities and the variety of careers that are available now are vast. For our younger girls, they will be going into jobs that have not been invented yet and so we have to prepare them for that. In their lives, they will probably have three or four entirely differentcareers.Soweneedtoprepare girls for the ever-changing face of careers.

We have a combination of using the ISCO service and also our own careers evenings and we invite parents in to talk to girls about differentprofessions.Ithink

increasingly girls will start looking at apprenticeships and work placements and not automatically go to university.

Who did you want to become when you were a child?I knew that I did not ever want to workinanoffice,ever.Andhereyouare,sittinginmyoffice[laughs],butI am not the sort of Head who likes tositinanoffice.Iliketobeoutside,seeing what the girls are doing and interacting with other people.

What do you enjoy doing outside of school?I like to swim and I love to garden. We have a beautiful situation for our garden here. We enjoy going to the theatre. I love to read when I have got time. My husband likes to cook so I like to share that with him.

What was the last book you read?The last book I read was “The God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy. I was delighted to see that on the curriculum for Advanced Higher we have Ian McEwan’s “Atonement” which is one of the books I have enjoyed reading the most.

Where do you find sources of motivation or inspiration?Fromlotsofdifferentareas:fromthe pupils, from what I hear on

DASHA POPOVA L6

COR UNUM 2017 75

the radio or see in society, when reading newspapers and often from discussions with my fellow Heads and colleagues. Motivation can come from the smallest thing to the mostsignificantthing.Itmightbeabigpoliticaldecisionthatwillaffectthe whole country or it might be a small act of kindness.

What do you see this school being in ten years time?In ten years’ time, I think we will have a very strong international dimension. I would like to see the girls having more input into the running of the school, making more decisions, but I am going to start workingonthatnextyear.Ithinkwe will still be very much a boarding and day school: I would like us to be a cutting edge school where the girls have true choice about what they are actually doing in school and then where they would move on afterwards.

do you ever think about Kilgraston becoming amixed school?It is not a discussion we have ever had with Governors and it is not something I would like to see, because I am a great believer in thebenefitsofall-girlseducation.It is not just because of the subject choices and that girls here would choose Maths, Physics, Chemistry just as easily as they will choose Languages and Humanities, whereas in co-ed schools that is not always the case.

In girls’ schools, we can take risks andtrythings,confidentlyknowingthat if it doesn’t work out it doesn’t matter, no-one is going to laugh at you, and you just try something else. I think if we don’t take risks, we don’t fully understand the potential that we have and what we could really achieve, or what we could really become. I think that it is the confidenceandself-esteemthatmatters which you get in girls’ schools.

Where do you find solutions for challenges that you come across?I like to talk to people. I like to listen to their ideas. I like people to play devil’s advocate so they give me the

alternative view. I am not frightened to think that I have made a mistake or made a wrong decision or I am thinking about doing something that is maybe not the best thing. I am quite happy for someone to tell me, “I don’t think that is a very good idea”. I might go ahead and do it anyway. But I like to listen to people, staff,parentsandgirls.

What was your first impression of this school when you just arrived?Well, I thought it was a beautiful setting, but the impression I got of the school was of its warmth, because I spoke to a group of girls who were sitting on the lawn as itwasafinedaywhenIfirstcameto visit. I thought they were very relaxed,buttheywereverypolite.

They were very interested in who was coming into school that day. They were happy to talk freely about their school and they were very proud of their school. They clearly had a lot of love for it. So I got that senseofloveonthefirstdayandthatwasmyfirstimpression.Thereis a lot of love here.

Has anything changed after youhave found out a little bit moreabout this school?I think I didn’t initially appreciate the depth of understanding and the importance of the Sacred Heart goals: how important they are to everyone in the community and thattheschool,thegirls,thestaffgenuinely live out the goals in their lives. Of course, that is what Sacred Heart education is about. It is not about paying lip service or having an ideology: it is about actually living out our ethos in our daily lives.

Why did you choose a school in scotland?Well, it was partly because I was coming home. I have taught in England for a number of years and I thought it was a good time to return, because of myfamily situation.

Why did you want this position in particular?I had already been a Head in my previous school and I was very happy there. I had been

Headmistressthereforsixyears, so I thought that I could see things that I could do here. I could make a difference,makesomechangesandI thought it was a wonderful place. I thought the girls were wonderful. I am really glad that I cameto Kilgraston.

How do you build a positive school culture?I think it is built on respect for everyone. One thing that I knew that I would have to do as quickly as I could was to build trust, so the girls would trust me and the parents would trust me and the Governors would trust me to do a good job. I think the other way to build a good culture is that we all believe in our ethos and that is of respecting every individual and respecting anyone’s idiosyncrasies and celebrating that and genuinely caring for other people. That builds a strong culture becausepeoplefeelconfidentandrelaxedinit.

do you think it is important for a single gender school to have a Head of the same gender as the students?Not necessarily. I think it is a good role model for girls to have a female at the Head of the school, but I don’t think it is necessary.

What are your priorities at the moment in terms of changingthe school? We had a lot of change last year and I said this year we would embed those changes, such as the new pastoral system and the introduction of the Kilgraston certificateanddiploma.Iamcurrently doing a curriculum review. We have had a good look at Support for Learning and we will work on communication and building our relationship with other schools, especially with Prep schools.

is there anything else you would like to share?There will be a series of talks from “Inspiring Women”. It is going to be excitinghavingthemcomeinandtell their stories - even talking about failure as well as success, because we learn a lot through things that we fail at. Failure is never something to be worried about.


KPA SPRING FAIR AND TENNIS TOURNAMENT

a beautifuL sunny (but windy) day was the settinG for the seCond kpa sprinG fair and tennis tournaMent. there wasa LoveLy reLaxed feeLto the afternoon and Many happy faCes wereto be seen!

Huge thanks are due to allthemembersofstaffwho helped to make the

day possible, organising the girls, helping out with looking after stalls, feeding us all, setting up and tidying up. We couldn’t do it without their support.

Very grateful thanks go to all of our wonderful parents who donated raffleprizes,organisedandmannedstalls, donated both home baking andalloftheverypopularfilled jam jars and of course for coming along and enjoying the day.

As always these events couldn’t go ahead without the continued support of the loyal Kilgraston parents.

And to the girls...we certainly couldn’t do it without you! Thank you for manning the stalls, bouncing on the bouncy castles, eating lots of strawberries, playing tennis and especially for all the fun and enthusiasmthatyouexude.

You make days like this and all the hard work that goes into them worthwhile.

THE KPA COMMITTEE

COR UNUM 2017 77

On the same day as Barack Obama landed at San Francisco Airport in February 2016, so did myparentsandI.Excitementattheprospects

of my American Adventure were dampened by the overwhelming wish to sleep after an eleven-hour flight.Weeventuallyfloppedonsupersizedbeds onthetwentysixthfloorinthedowntownHilton, San Francisco.

Morning sunshine heralded my daily stroll up O´Farrell Street to the world-famous Sears Restaurant. We would devour the menu throughout the week; pancakes and syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice, eggs and service with a smile. This place has been tantalising SanFranciscotastebudssincethe1920s.

Clambering up to the front seats of the open top tour bus, we were mesmerised by skyscrapers, oversized trafficlights,giganticbillboardsandtheexhilaratingbeepofhorns.Thiswastheplacetobe…signsaheaddictated a strict speed limit – yes, we were driving over the Golden Gate Bridge; to the right the sprawling vista of the Bay, to the left the open hungry mouth of thePacificOcean.

One day we were invited to lunch by a family friend. Where? No lesser place than the St. Francis Yacht Club on the peninsula overlooking the Golden Gate!

This felt special. The tinkle of ice cubes with the zing of lemon, the sizzle of steak and the drizzle of dressing on the crispest of salads. The chairs were like good friends in their comfort, yet like fashion models in their style. It seemed a dream; polite smiles and a waiter who knew your name.

Another day, on the double decker Amtrak train we sped past the Headquarters of Google, Yahoo and Survey Monkey on our way through Silicon Valley.

This was my ultimate dream come true; where apps and bloggers and Apple live and work. Could that be me one day?

Saturday morning; the famous trams of San Francisco with their wooden carriages, bell ringing announcements and passengers squeezing in or on. It felt every bit like being in an American movie. Our tram was trundling along, slowly rising to the brow of Russian Hill. We basked in the sunshine on our backs; the day planned ahead.

Suddenly, the tram stopped short. And then the announcement which we will forever remember, ‘Sorryfolks,you’llneedtogetoffthetram.There is a hostage situation on Fourth Block’.

We looked at each other with terror, imagining the worst.Thenitwasexplainedthatthepoliceweredealing with a ‘domestic’ dispute on this St Valentine’s morning and not a full scale hostage drama. Phew, were we relieved!

Thisleftuswiththejoyoffindingourwaybackto Union Square by bus. We were like prawns and spring onions gripped by chopsticks as we squashed against others in the bus; a source of fascination to the whole bus community!

Thistantalisingplaceisindeedfullofextremes.Onceagain I hear the drone of helicopters circling overhead. Like me, Barack Obama is leaving town after his Spring trip. Wonder what his memories will be?

IhavesomanyandIamalreadydreamingofmynextholidayStateside…Ihope!

SAN FRANCISCO - HERE WE GO!

´have a Great day!’ or, in My Case, ´have a Great week!’

MARIA EBRAHIM L4 WINNER OF CLASS 390 PUBLIC SPEAKING PREPARED SPEECH AT PERFORMIN PERTH 2017

ASSEMBLY ON MEETING THE GOAL OF SOCIAL AWARENESS:

what if i toLd you that i CouLd Give you a MaChine that wouLd Make you reaLLy happy, Give you ConfidenCe, brinG you suCCess, stop you froM beinG anxious and reMove aLL unpLeasant thouGhts and feeLinGs? the Good news is – you aLready

have that MaChine. it’s your Mind. but you have you Learn how to use it.

Forexample,nobodyherehasevergotupandrun around the chapel in assembly and then said, “Sorry,mylegswanderedoffforamoment.”But

I wonder how many of you have ever sat in assembly thinking, “Did I have any Geography homework?” or “How many lights are there?” (Twelve) and then realised thatyourmindhadwanderedoff.

This year’s Sacred Heart goal is ‘Social awareness that impels to action’ and an important part of social awareness is self-awareness. In that spirit, I’m going to introduce you to the work of consultant psychiatrist, Dr Steve Peters. He’s worked with the British Olympic cyclingteam.AsDrPetersexplainsit,youdon’thaveone brain, you have several. When you’re a baby, they all develop separately and then gradually connect up to each other over time. At the front of your brain is the largestpart,thefrontalcortex.Thisisthepartthatdealswith facts and truth and thinks logically and rationally and makes us human.

At the centre is the limbic system which deals with feelings and impressions and reacts emotionally. It doesn’t think, it just reacts. Dr Peters describes this part as being like your inner chimp. The other parts at the top and at the back, he describes as being like a computer or a machine, for either your human or your chimp to operate.

Now, your brain is lazy. It likes to run on autopilot. When you go somewhere or you meet someone that you recognise, your computer will look back at what you did last time you were in that situation and try and make you do the same thing. But when you’re faced with a new situation, your computer won’t have anything in its programming, and it becomes a battle betweenyour inner human and your inner chimp as to how you deal with it.

Letmegiveyouanexample.Yougointoaroomandthere’s a plate of biscuits on the table. Most of them are plain digestives, but there’s one chocolate biscuit. There’s no-one else in the room. At this point, your inner human is saying: ‘I’d better wait and see who else is coming.’ But your inner chimp is saying: ‘Mmm, chocolate.’Exceptthatyourinnerchimp’svoiceisfivetimes as strong as your inner human’s. So what you actually get is: ‘I’d better wait and see – Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate!’

So what do you do? You eat the chocolate biscuit. Then your chimp starts saying: ‘Still hungry. Eat another. And another.’ Until everybody else arrives in the room and there’s a plate of crumbs on the table. Then your chimp shuts up, and leaves your inner human to apologise to everyone.Or,togiveyouanotherexample,you’vegotexamscomingup.Yourinnerhumansays:‘I’dbetterdosome Geography revision,’ but your inner chimp says: ‘Snapchat! Snapchat! Snapchat!’

Sowhatdoyoudo?Yougetyourphoneout.Justfiveminutes,youtellyourself.Twohourslater…Soundfamiliar?Now,canyoujustgointoyourexams,seewhat happens, and, if you don’t do well, you simply say: ‘Sorry, I didn’t do any revision. It wasn’t my fault, it was my chimp’s fault’? No. You can’t blame your chimp or kill your chimp. It is part of who you are, so you need to learn how to live together.

According to the theorem, a monkey hitting keys at randomonakeyboardforaninfiniteamountoftimewill eventually, almost surely, type the complete works of Shakespeare. In reality, in 2003, a team from the University of Plymouth put a computer in an enclosure atPaigntonZoowithsixmonkeysforamonth.Bytheendofthemonth,themonkeyshadproducedfivepages of the letter S and then broken the keyboard. In a similar way, you do not want to let your inner chimp near your inner computer for too long, in case it breaks the keyboard. But you do need to let it have control every once in a while; you can’t keep it caged up forever.

How can you do that?

• Slowdown–stressischimpfood!• Feedit–giveyourinnerchimpabanana.Justmake sure that your chimp has to work for it. Your reward should come after you’ve earned it, not before. And make sure that it is literally a banana, or some other healthy snack. • Exercise–goforawalkoraswim,playtennis, whatever it takes to tire out your chimp.• Makesureyougetplentyofsleep,soyourinner human isn’t too tired to control your inner chimp.• Andremember,keepingyourchimpundercontrol isnoteasy.Ittakestimeandefforttobuildup good habits.

So stay calm and try to keep your chimp under control!

DR CARL PHILLIPS, HEAD OF GEOGRAPHY

THE CHIMP PARADOX


COR UNUM 2017 79

KILGRASTON SCHOOL

SIXTH FORM BALL 2017


N atasha and Bernadette have each been at Kilgraston for 10 years now. I have only been here for 4 years but I know it’s been their

favourite 4 years here! They both love Kilgraston - well, they haven’t gone anywhere else after 10 years so it must be all right - and they have both done so much for the school. Just think of all those Christmas songs they have learned over years of Carol concerts!

I don’t remember how Natasha and I became friends but I’m so glad we did. I really enjoy all those Face Time sessions, even if they do get slightly out of hand. Natasha has been here since nursery and there’s not much she doesn’t know about Kilgraston or the people here.

So be careful what you say about her! Natasha is one smart cookie and after school, once we’ve got the essentials from Kintillo, we spend the remaining time before I get the bus tackling homework - normally Maths which takes us quite a while, but with combined brain power we usually get there in the end. She really is one

of my best friends in the world. Bernadette is one of the best riders I know and those hundreds of rosettes prove it.

She is also one of the funniest people. Taking two languagesthisyearissomethingIdefinitelycouldn’tdo-IknowshehadgreatfunontheFrenchexchange-almost drowning in the sea and eating dodgy curry - but I’m glad she’s back. It’s ironic that the tallest and smallest intheclassaregreatfriendsbuttheheightdifferencehasmadenodifference.

Bernadettemaybesmall,butherheartdefinitelyisn’t.She is one of the kindest people I know and always tries to see the best in others.

So here’s to more years of laughs, jokes and many more memories to come with Natasha and Bernadette.

ALICE WILSON L5 ONNATASHA BEAL L5 ANDBERNADETTE MCELHINNEY L5

TIN JUBILEE 2017

COR UNUM 2017 81

A lex-Ihaveknownyouforthreeyears and you have been such a goodfriendtome.Alexissuchan

asset to the school. Not only is she very clever, she enjoys so many sports such as athletics, hockey, tennis, rounders, swimming and she’s plays netball for Perth and Kinross district, school andBridgeofEarn.ButAlexisnotonlytalented at sport, she is also amazing at singing and acting. She played the part of Arista in the Little Mermaid and a harem girl in Aladdin and was fantastic.

Alexisthetypeofpersonwholikeshavinga good laugh and she will also ask if you if you are okay because she cares. I know that everyone in the class will remember sharing somegoodtimeswithAlex.

One of my best memories was doing the Upper Fourth dance competition when she even managed to get me, the most inflexiblepersonintheworld,tolearnto cartwheel which I must say was quite amusing! You are such an amazing person and the school has been so lucky to have you here for ten years.

EILIDH MACPHERSON L5ON ALEX BRATTESANI L5

ThisismyfirstyearatKilgrastonandwhileImayhaveonlyknown Michaela for a short time, I can very easily say that she has become one of my best friends here at school.

IfirstmetMichaelawhenIwaswanderingcluelesslyabouttheMaths classrooms and she was the one person who showed me where to go. Sincethen,wehavebecomefirmfriendsandsharedlotsofgoodmemories together. Sometimes we have laughed till we are in tears, mostly about my debatable sport skills and her favourite English teacher Mrs Ferguson, Mr Kearns’ constantly messy classroom,firealarmsandhalfchewedapples.

If I had to pick one memory, then it would be the time we visited Berlin on a school hockey tour. We had gone to an indoor water park and with great amusement I watched Michaela try to ask a groupofboyswhatthetimewasinGerman.Onlytofindouttheywere from Norway and had no clue what she was talking about! Needless to say, it ended in great hilarity and both Michaela and I still laugh about it now. We may argue but all good friends do, and despite any disagreements we may have, they always end in hugs and laughter.

Michaela is pretty, crazy, hilarious, ditsy and a complete joy to be around with multiple successes in sports and academics. Not many14yearoldscansaytheyhavegainedallAsintheirexamsthis year and also played hockey for Scotland as Michaela has done. Congratulations to Michaela on her ten years at Kilgraston.

PIP FORSTER L5ON MICHAELA MCCARTHY L5


to my sister, Arietta

Every day I look forward to seeing Arietta (also known as Mina) at break and lunchtimes. She stands up from her table and shouts joyfully, “Hi, Alexa!”asifshehasn’tseenmefordays! It will be strange not to spend our tennis sessions on Tuesdays but winning the Kilgraston Tennis Tournament for the fourth time with her has been a great way to end our last school year together.

ALEXA MANGANIELLO L5

U6TH LEAVERS’ ASSEMBLY

to my sister, rachel

You are one of the smartest, kindest, funniest, and most supportive people I know (even if you are a bit annoying). To me, your achievements over recent yearsareoffthescale.

We started Kilgraston together back in 2005 when our kilts touched the ground and you have been right by my side, leading the way and setting the standards for twelve years ever since. Now, our kilts are a lot shorter and we are a little bit wiser and I have to say goodbye to my best friend. I can’t quite put into words how much Iwillmissyounextyear,soIthought Iwouldsingit.Thisisforyou…

(…thenIsang,SlippingthroughmyFingers, by Abba, and Lissie (Cook) played the piano and there was lotsof crying!!)

REBECCA BLACK, L6

to the BFgs, rachel Black and grace reilly

I loved the BFG system this year. It shows that no matter how big or small we are we always have a friend. As an LFG, I know that this year’s BFGs have been everything a BFG should be: approachable, friendly, supportive and caring.

LAURA INGLIS, L3

to my sister, Alicia

Obviously my sister Alicia, and all oftheUpperSixthgirls,areleavingKilgraston and moving on into an important stage of their life, and I wish them all the best.

It hasn’t quite hit me yet that my only sister will be leaving home and going to University. But when it does, I am going to miss her lots, because I have no other siblings to annoy me likeshe does.

Those of the teachers who have taught Alicia, or know her well, should knowthatsheisextremelyirritatingand annoying, will never shut up and just loves to distract you. And sadly.... I am just like her.

The best things about having Alicia as an older sister are: that she has been through everything that I have either gone through, or am going through, or am about to go through, so I know that I can ask her anything because she will probably know the answer and therefore give me advice, and she can also help me with my homework when I get stuck.

But, the worst things are when she steals my clothes without asking, or she rummages through my drawers tofindthingsthatIhavestolenfromher room.

But...Alicia isn’t all that bad. She is great for advice, even though she only speaks the truth, and the truth is usually harsh.

Forexample,whenIwasexcitedtoget my braces on and I was asking her about how she thinks they will look on me, she says to me, “Pippa, you are going to be so ugly when you get braces!”Yetthroughallofyourflaws,

I still love you and I will miss you so much.TheUpperSixthwillbemissedby all of us and we wish you all the best in the years to come.

PIPPA BOYLE L5

to my sister, Lottie

Charlotte, also better known as Lottie, is likeable, kind and considerate and has a great sense of humour. She is very committed to everything in Kilgrastonwhichwasreflectedinher being head of House in bothprep school and senior school.FromJuniorSchooluptoUpperSixth,she has been involved in a wider range of activities including school plays, Hockey, BFG support andDuke of Edinburgh. She particularly enjoyed tennis and singing.

We will miss her lots.

ISLA LESLIE, U5

to my sister Katie

Katie, you been a fantastic role model throughout my school life. Not only do I look up to you but you are someone who lots of people in the school admire and look up to you. I hope you carryonexcellinginlife.Iwillmissyouso much and especially all the times playing sports together.

ELLIE STOTT L5

COR UNUM 2017 83

to the deputy Head girls,2016/7, teresa Matamoroand sophie downes,

Although U6 has been notorious for theirrelaxedandlaidbackapproachto life this year, the results show how successful they have been as they allheadofftodifferentpartsofthecountrynextyear.

They all get on so well and are such a tight knit and bonded year group. L6 really look up to you for how calm and friendly everyone is with one another.

Nextyear,therewillbesuchagapwithout the fabulous head girl team of Susie, Teresa and Sophie. Thank you so much and I have no doubts that we shall be hearing of all your successes in the future.

LARA MELVILLE,DEPUTY HEAD GIRL, 2017/8

to the Head of inchcolm House, 2016/7, Millie Brown, and inchcolm u6

You’ve all been so great this year and have done an amazing job getting the House together. I mean the fact that wefinallywonsportsdayistriumphenough.You’velefthugebootstofilland have worked so well together: I hope we can do half as good a job as you’ve all done whilst staying as chilled as you have.

On behalf of Inchcolm, I can say from the bottom of my heart that this House won’t be the same without any of you and that we will miss you all. And to Millie, Kim and Mollie, I hope Daisy, Rosie and I can do as good a job as you all have. Thank you for everything you’ve all done and, in the words of Mr Campbell: “all the best.”

CLARE FAHERTY, HEAD OF INCHCOLM HOUSE, 2017/8

to Head girl, 2016/7,susie dougall

Susie, what can I say? You are never short of a smile or a giggle and not only that, you have also shown great commitment and leadership over the past year and I know we all look up to you. You are a huge part of our school, from performing in numerous music groups, to sports teams, to your academic subjects and to just being a lovely friend to your fellow Upper 6th.

‘Big Sue’, you could give superman a run for his money; you’re a superstar, andwe’llmissyoursmileyfacenextyear and wish you the best of luck in the future.

REBECCA BLACK,HEAD GIRL, 2017/8

to the Head of Arran House, 2016/7, daisy galbraith,and Arran u6

All of you have been fantastic this year and I hope for all the best in the future whatever you do.

This is a special shout out to Daisy because you have been amazing throughout the year, keeping the whole House together and managing to pull it out of the bag, however organised you are. All of you have supported the House in so manyways and we will truly miss you.

NICOLA BRYAN, HEAD OF ARRAN HOUSE, 2017/8

to the Head of Kinnoull House, 2016/7, charlotte Leslie, and Kinnoull u6

I would like to say a huge thank you toUpperSixthKinnoullandespeciallyCharlotte. They have all been amazing and have really pulled together to make this year a great one for the House.

All of the House events have been really well organised and the large participation numbers really do show how the U6 succeeded in bringing the House together. They will be very muchmissednextyearandtheteamfornextyearhaveverybigshoestofill.Iamsurethatallofthegirlswill go on to do great things.

ZOE NIVEN, HEAD OF KINNOULL HOUSE, 2017/8

To the Head of Moncreiffe House, 2016/7, Katie stott,and Moncreiffe U6t

Thank you for being there for all of us this year and especially to Katie for leadingMoncreiffHousesowell.Youhave all managed to stay happy and encouraging throughout.

From Shut Up and Dance for House Music (and the amazing choreography), to our lovely Christmas party, you have made our House betterandit’sgoingtobeextremelyhardforustoliveuptoyounextyear.

I would just like to thank you for making this year so memorable for meandalltheotherMoncreiffians.Youwillbemissedsomuchnext year, and we wish you all the best for the future.

EMILY DARK, HEAD OF MONCREIFFE HOUSE, 2017/8

JUNIOR YEARS PREFECT

as junior years prefeCt, i had the wonderfuL opportunity to beCoMe More faMiLiar with the younGer GirLs. throuGhout

the year, i often visited the juniors durinG breaks.

This frequently resulted in me being chased by ten people during a game of ‘tig’. Giving tours of the junior school

always reminded me of the deeply enriching education the girls receive at Kilgraston, right from the beginning in the reception class. A highlight of the year has been the effortsthejuniorsputintotheirFairtradesales stalls. They learn about fair and sustainable farming and also sell Fairtrade products in order to raise money for the Fairtrade charity.

Another thing I loved about being the junior yearsprefectwasseeingandexperiencingthewiderangeoftalentexistinginthegirls.Hockey, drama, playing the piano; the list of the younger girls’ hobbies and talents could go on endlessly.

From a young age, the girls are encouraged andsupportedtoexcelandthisisclearlyseenin each one of them. I will miss the friends I made in the junior school (even the ones who tugged at my hair!) but I am happy to know that all of these girls, with their amazing talents and minds, will be successful in their lives.

ZAARA KHAN U6


ONCE UPON A DREAM MY ALICORNMy Alicorn’s horn sparkleslike a thousand starsYears’ worth of dreams are all oursAllmyfearshaveflownawayLooks like every things okayIflyabovepinkfluffyclouds.

Colourful grasses and thereare no crowdsOver the sunset of red and pinkRound and round a sky dyed rinkNo-one to tell us what to do.

I feel free on my dreamAlicorn, what about you.

CALEIGH TAYLOR L2

SNAILSSnails slither slowly

Snails are glowySnails are squidgy

A snail that’s me.

I slime up the treeI picked up a peaAnd had it for teaSnails are podgyAnd very dodgy

A snail - that’s me.

CHLOE BLOICE U1

JUNIOR ART

COR UNUM 2017 85


PAINTING WITH MORVEN

I was outside and we needed lots of paint. I squished the paint into little cups. I chose lots of colours.

I stirred the paint to make a good pattern. Then magic jelly went in the cups. Mrs Stewart’s daughter helped all of us. In case we got muddled up she told us what to do. I had a rectangularpieceofwood.Imixedall the paints and jelly up. Then I tipped it onto the wood, it went frothy and foamy!! It ran all over the wood and made my picture.

ELSIE STEWARTRECEPTION (AGE 5)

Morven came to help us with paint boards. We got acrylic paints in tubs and

added ‘magic jelly’. We poured all the colours together and got wooden boards. Morven told us to put the board on top of the tub and tip it upside down. Thecoloursallmixedtogetherandmade patterns. It was so much fun and they were beautiful.

CAITLIN O’HEARL1 (AGE 5)

SOPHIE DU PLESSIS RECEPTION (AGE 6)

Morven came and she showedushowtomixacrylic paints together.

Wechosefivecolourseach.I chose orange, white, blue, yellow and brown. Morven gave me some ‘magic gel’ whichwemixedtogetherwiththepaints.Weneededtomixallofthepaintstogether.NextIpouredsomeof the paint onto a block of wood. The paint spread out and then I poured the rest of it on. It all dried and it made a lovely picture. It is all swirly!

A s Head of Arran, this has been especially noticeable to me in this last year, with

a strong representation across all House events, both sporting and intellectual. This has translated into successes in a number of events, winning events from the Hannan House Tennis to the Studies Cup. Arran is known for being the friendliest house, and while I am undoubtedly biased, it certainly has that air about it, and everyone is welcomed with open arms.

Arran has been well represented across all school activities, with a sea of green lighting up the cross country and House matches accompanied by chants of epic proportions. By winning the inauguralHouseQuizthisyear,Arran cemented its reputation as the intellectual house, yet its versatility was shown across other House events. From the whole House performance of Don’t Stop Believing, to strong performances across all sporting events, Arran has really shown the depth of interests and talent within it.

Sadly last year we were forced to say goodbye to Miss Gardner, and

Ihopeshehashadalovelyfirstyear in Canada. Mrs Oswald had bigshoestofillinherfirstyearasHousemistress and she has been exceptional.Alwayscarryingcakes,her organisational prowess and enthusiasm for Arran are second to none. She is wonderfully kind and caring, and has ensured that all new members of the House feel welcome. We have had a number of coffeemornings,allofwhichwereimproved by the fabulous home baking of Mrs Oswald - often going theextramileandbeingnotjustdelicious, but also iced green in the House colour; a real feat.

2016/2017markedthefirstyearofthe new House system. While it is sometimes hard to adapt to change, the introduction of the Prep School to the Senior School houses can only be considered an enormous positive. The enthusiasm brought by the Prep School is infectious, and the challenge of thinking of House Meeting activities to appeal to ages ranging from 5 to 18 has been so much fun. The Prep School contributed massively to the House, winningavarietyofUnder9andUnder11sports,andexcellinginchallenges-forexamplethe

‘building the tallest tower out of newspaper challenge’. As Head of Arran, I would possibly have been consumed by my own disorganisation, were it not for thetalentedandtirelesseffortsofGemma and Grace, Arran deputy and sports captain respectively. They have ensured we always have teams for matches, rallied the troops at inter House events, and helped me sort out The Great Confusion of the Secret Santa list. They have always been by my side, and together we have shared in the triumphs of success and been philosophical when events don’t go as we might have hoped. And so, we must hand over to the very capable hands of Nicola, Kemi, Anna and Lissie; there is no doubt thattheywilldoanexceptionaljob, and I have every faith in their commitment to Arran, their kindness, and their intellect.

Arran has been my home for the pastsixyears,itishardtoleavebehind, but I know the strength of community within it will only continuetogrowandflourish.Arran, Arran, A-double R-A-N, ARRAN.

ARRANDAISY GALBRAITH U6, HEAD OF ARRAN

aLthouGh the house systeM May have Gone throuGh a substantiaLshake-up this year, they reMain reLevant within our sChooL Lives,

and support and LoyaLty towards theM is undiMinished.

COR UNUM 2017 87

INCHCOLMMILLIE BROWN U6, HEAD OF INCHCOLM

under new ManaGeMent this year, inChCoLM house has Got a new reputation. we are no LonGer just ‘the LoveLy house that Likes to

take part’, we have beCoMe ‘the new house to watCh’, seCurinG first pLaCe in a nuMber of inter house events this year.

W e had a great start to the year and won House cross country which

definitelyhastobemyfavouriteHouse event, as it allows the great opportunity to get covered in red paint and come into school the nextmorningwitharougeglow.I will never forget the buzzing atmosphere before the race begins as everyone gathers in House huddles and makes their way to the start line. Or in the case of Sophie, Susie and I, rushing to tie our ankles together to go round three-leggedwithTruffles,theHighland cow by my side.

Inchcolmcontinuedtoexceland were victorious in both House Art and Music. After much deliberation U6th Inchcolm came to the consensus of ‘Blame it on the Boogie’ for our big group and Susie, Sophie, Jade, Kim and Poppy sang a beautiful mash-up for our small group. I was really proud of

theeffortallthegirlsputinandtime taken for rehearsals and choreography.

Winning sports day has gone down in history for Inchcolm this year. As always, team spirits were high and we gave it our all, which hugely paidoffandIamsopleasedwitheveryone who took part. This year, instead of only introducing new U4th to the House, the prep school joinedthe senior school Houses.

It brought a slight challenge with some less familiar faces and a wider age range to accommodate in House meetings.

However, I really enjoyed the enthusiasm they brought to House meetingsandcoffeemorningsandit was great to welcome even more girls into Inchcolm.

I thank my very talented Housefor their participation. They have made this a memorable last year for me and I thank deputy head Kim and sports captain Mollie for their support and contribution.

As I have been a part of Kilgraston for nine years now and a member of Inchcolmfamilyforfiveyears,Iwasthrilled to take on this role. I have been grateful and have thoroughly enjoyed the responsibility and experiencethatithasoffered: many thanks to Mr Campbell. It’s been great fun organising House events and leading Inchcolm to what has been a successful year. Iwilldefinitelymissthesenseofcommunity this House has given me. Clare Faherty, Rosie Meynell and Daisy Foniciello will make a superHeadofHouseteamfornextyear and I wish Mr Campbell the best of luck and Inchcolm House the best success for the future.


I amextremelygratefultomyfellow Kinnoullians for supporting me in my role as Head of House

andformakingmyfinalyearatKilgraston the most memorable of all. However, this wouldn’t have been possible without the tremendous support from Rebecca Bruce, Deputy Head and Catriona Norval, Sports Captain who have been my anchor - constantly standing by my side and helping to encourage other members in an optimistic and passionate manner.

Since I joined the House in Upper Fourth, I have always worn the purple shirt with great pride and oneofthefirsteventswhichreflectedthegenuineteamspiritand camaraderie of Kinnoull House was the ever popular Cross Country. Every single girl was singing the Kinnoull anthem at the top of their voices whilst being unrecognisably covered in purple paint. It was then that our famous motto, ‘It’s the taking part that counts’ was put into practice.

This year, we have welcomed the junior years into Kinnoull which has only strengthened the true spirit of the House and allows each

and every student to embrace the opportunity of getting to know others throughout the school community. Junior Head of Kinnoull, Hannah Morrison has done a fantastic job in motivating the younger pupils and I wish the best of luck to Erin MacGregor, who I am sure will continue to do this.

Within the House, we have taken on a series of entertaining activities such as designing and showcasing newspaper dresses down the catwalk and playing a game of giant hide and seek (which went down a storm for all ages). In addition to this,weenjoyfindinganymomentto have a laugh. InterHouse competitions are the best time to do this; taking this year’s House musicperformanceasanexamplein which we performed Abba’s ‘DancingQueen’and‘MammaMia’alongside our very own Abba tribute band, consisting of Mr McAuley, Dr Philips and Mr Johnston who dressedfittinglyfortheoccasion.

At the end of the year there is always a mounting tension as the winner of the House points isrevealed.Hugeexcitementfor Kinnoull erupted as a result of winning again this year. This

fantastic achievement depicts the hard working nature and energy which the whole House has displayed throughout.

With optimistic attitudes in abundance, we have gained good results in a range of activities across the board, the highlight being our victory in the House Netball.

Asweheadoffinourseparatedirections, I know that the current UpperSixthKinnoullwilltrulybenefitfromthevaluesandenthusiasm that we have developed throughout our time in such a driven and good spirited House. Lookingtowardsnextyear,itiswithgreatconfidencethatwepassonour roles to the new Head of House, Zoe Niven, Deputy Head, Catriona Roberts and Sports Captain, Rebecca Wright who I am certain will continue to lead Kinnoull in a positive direction.

I have enjoyed my time as head of House this year immensely and would like to give my heartfelt thanks to Mrs McCormick and the other teachers who have supported the other girls and me, not only in ourfinalyear,butthroughouttheduration of our time in Kinnoull.

KINNOULLCHARLOTTE LESLIE U6, HEAD OF KINNOULL

this has been an aMazinG year paCked with a pLethora ofopportunities for the house to Get toGether and shine.

COR UNUM 2017 89

MONCREIFFE KATIE STOTT U6, HEAD OF MONCREIFFE

MonCreiffe has had a very suCCessfuL year - GettinG to the finaL in the house quiz CoMpetition and winninG sportinG events suCh as house hoCkey.

The hockey team this year have carried on dominating, as they have won three

out of three events for hockey. Every year our House has great participation and yet again we have proven this by gaining the highest participation points for most events and it is key that the girls in our House know that taking part counts. Sport is a very big thing at our school and InterHouse competitions are meant to be competitive but mainly fun. This year our sports captain Sophie Forbes has done an amazing job to get the girls involved with various sports and she is always there to motivate and providesweetsforwhenwefinish.Our Deputy Head of House Lucy Whitaker is always there to cheer us on and carries our team mascot, Meredith the moose. I would like to thank them both for helping me throughout the whole year in leading the House. MoncreiffedidverywellintheHouse music this year and the girls certainlyputalotofeffortintotheirsinging. The small group did an amazing performance of ‘Another

love’ by Tom Odell which almost brought people to tears, it was that good. InHouseartwealsodidextremelywell, thanks to Jenny Caplain who createdamasterpiece.Moncreiffealways works together to do as well as we can in all the social occasions, activities and House events. Just recently we had our annual trip to St Andrews where some of us made the brave plunge into the icy cold water. We also had fun playing a massive game of rounders which was a great laugh – even the teachers got involved. Thisyearhasbeenslightlydifferentto previous years as we have the junior school involved as well as the senior school which has brought the whole school and Houses closer together.InMoncreiffewelovetomake new girls feel very welcome andIhavetosayMoncreiffeis like my family because everyone knows everyone. Every month we meet as a whole House and during this time, the girls take part in lots of fun team building activities which our House leadership team and the other

UpperSixthgirlsorganise.Alongwiththis,wehavecoffeemorningswhere we eat lots of cake and drink hot chocolate which brings the House close together. Of course the House would not be the same without our amazing tutors,MrFynn,MlleDepreux, Mrs Caldwell, Mrs Ferry, Mr Kearns and Miss Patton. A huge thanks must be given to them for all their hard work this year. The lady who keeps our House together is Mrs O’Hear, our Housemistress and a massive thank you to her. She is always there for each of us when we need her, even if it is only for a friendly chat. Mrs O’Hear is loved by everyone in our House and she certainly brings out competitiveness within people to do their best. Just like the colour sunshine, Moncreiffebringshappinesstoeveryone with our bright yellow t-shirts and our big smiles. It is a very happy House and it has always been about participation and fun. Good luck to Emily, Dasha and Alanafornextyear.


STAFFDOROTHY MACGINTY, HEADMISTRESS

at the end of the suMMer terM we said fareweLL and thank you to; Miss reGina

arnau Martinez, Miss jenny buChhoLz, Ms ness, Miss patton, Mrs reid, Mr stewart.

miss regina arnau from mexico was a gap student, helping in many areas including residential, Art and Modern Languages. An accomplished artist, she has gained a place at Glasgow School of Art. miss Jenny Buchholz from germany spent her L5 year as a Kilgraston pupil and returned as a gap student. She has done boarding duties, German conversation and she has been especially helpful with Music administration and support. ms ness gave LAMDA lessons for a number of years with great success and encouraged work experienceplacementsincluding at the New School, Butterstone. She isnowexpandinghervoiceover career. mrs reid spent nine and a half years at Kilgraston. Amongst her various roles have been teaching ESOL, as Head of Support for Learning, Kinnoull House Tutor, assisting in a variety of classes including Home Economics. She arranged a variety of activities for the ESOL pupils including residential trips to the West Coast and day trips to Fordell Firs activity centre. Mrs Reid is moving on to teach at a local primary school in Fife and to run her sewing and

haberdashery shop, Minerva Blue in Newburgh. miss patton, housemistress of Butterstone boarding house will be married this summer and is moving to live in Edinburgh with her new husband. She leaves us with our very best wishes and gratitudeforthefirst-classjob that she’s done with our youngest boarders. Forever level-headed and utterly approachable, I wish her every success and happiness in the future. mr Stewart, head of Junior Years has left to pursue a new career in theworldoffinancialmanagement. He has contributed a great deal to Junior Years over the lastfiveyears,initiallyasanexcellentclassroompractitioner and then as Head. Energetic, creative, often bold, we have all benefitedfromhissheerenthusiasm and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with him. One of my most memorable moments was joining in with the parents blowing on a kazoo, in accompaniment to the girls rapping in rhyming couplets! We wish Mr Stewart every good fortune in the future and of course, we will still be seeing him as a parent.

COR UNUM 2017 91

A TRIBUTE TO SISTER MOLLIE HAND RSCJsr. MoLLie hand was born in dubLin in 1924 and was proud of beinG a dubLiner. she was the eLdest of a LarGe faMiLy and no doubt it was her traininG there whiCh prepared her for her future Ministry.

She loved her family and many a wonderful story she would tell us of her days growing up in Dublin. How she could tell a story and how we enjoyed her Irish humour. She entered the Society of the Sacred Heart at the age oftwentyin1944,havingfirstmetthenunswhensheattended the Night School they ran in Leeson Street, Dublin. Her gratitude for all she received there touched my heart when she reminisced. Sr. Hand came from a very poor family and was not afraid to admit this clearly and simply. It was this honesty and integrity which attracted others.

My memories of Sr. Hand are always happy ones. That smile of hers charmed and endeared her to so many, many people. It was God’s great gift to her and she used itbeautifully.ShecametoKilgrastonin1967andwasfirstcookandthenCaterer.Forthenexttwentyyearssheremained working there and how hard she worked. She once said to me, “I am not afraid of work”: how true. That smallfigure,standingonatiledfloorinalargekitchen,surrounded by those huge vats, managed everything with method. She cooked for the boarding school and communityandstaff–severalhundredportionseachday.

She had a big and warm heart and was perceptive of othersinneed.AmemberoftheKilgrastonstaffrecalls:“Sr. Hand came with us on a school trip to Italy over 30 years ago. She specially looked after a girl who had tunnel vision and was losing her sight. She guided her carefully up and down the slopes of Mount Vesuvius and through thestreetsofRomeintherain.”Anothermemberofstaffwrites: “ She was much loved by all the girls at Kilgraston. I remember them telling me that she would never turn them away from the kitchen door when they asked for a snack and would give them biscuits as a treat. She was so kind and had such a beautiful smile.”

In1987Sr.HandretiredasCatererandhumblystartedto work as Assistant Caterer under new management for the following eleven years. If my mathematics is correct she was at Kilgraston for thirty one years. If any past pupils are reading this, please do share some of your memories withus.In1998shecametoAberdeenwhereshespentten happy years, enjoying knitting for the missions. It was a grace to be in community with her there. She kept to a regular daily schedule and though she had a lot of sufferingfromoneveryswollenknee,shetoldmesheknelt down every night to say her prayers. Sr. Hand was oneofthoseunsungsaints.In2009wesadlysaidgoodbyeto her in Aberdeen and she joined the Rosehill community in Dalkeith. There she lived quietly and peacefully until herdeathon19thDecember2016aged93years.Whata huge welcome that little person must have got from the God who gave her the smile, as she smiled back at him with those lovely Irish eyes of hers. May her gentle spirit rest in peace.

MEMORIES OF SR. BYSTRAM


SISTER TERESA BYSTRAM RSCJ (13.08.26 - 28.10.16)

wanda teresa bystraM was born in warsaw. her father was a CoLoneL in the poLish arMy and the faMiLy were weLL respeCted. he had a distinGuished MiLitary Career in poLand and a street in the town of tarnowskieGóry has been naMed after hiM. she Grewup in a CLose faMiLy and aLways vaLued her poLish heritaGe.

During World War II the family hadtofleetheirnativelandand what a traumatic time

that was for her mother and the two young children, Teresa and her younger brother Carlos. I remember Teresa telling us of the fear in her heart that she might get parted from her parents when all that was going on. With her highly active imagination that memory must have penetrated into her psyche. They had to cross through France, travelling much of the time by night, before they eventually ended up in Scotland. Many Polish army families came to Scotland at that time. The Bystrams began in Glasgow where Teresa went to school at Notre Dame High School. Then Colonel Bystram was moved to Craighall near Blairgowrie. This was when Teresa was sent to Kilgraston as a boarder. At that time, we had quite a number of Polish girls in the school , all very gifted.

Teresa threw herself into boarding school life. She was particularly good at outdoor sport, be it rounders, netball, hockey or tennis. Shealsoexcelledasagymnast.ButArt soon came to the surface and her delightful paintings, so creative

and full of fantasy, covered the Art Room walls, above the Central Hall. When Teresa left Kilgraston, she went to the Edinburgh Art School, staying at Craiglockhart College (then the Society of the Sacred Heart Training College) as a hostel student. One of her fellow students at Craiglockhart was Frances Arrowsmith who later entered the Society herself and remained a friend.

In1951TeresaalsoenteredtheNovitiate at Mount Anville in Dublin. After her First Vows she returned toKilgrastonin1954andremainedthereforthenextfortyfiveyears,withabreakin1958whenshewentto Rome for her Final Vows. A real educator, she drew out from her pupils their giftedness, giving them the freedom to develop their own imagination and style. She herself was attracted to Pottery and taught herself the art. A wheel was bought and a kiln was put in the old Grange. Some of the girls found this way of expressingthemselvestooandtothis day there are still some of their products on display. As the years passed, the Art Department grew in importance and students’ work was displayed round the old Adam

house. Many of the budding artists that she taught went on to study at Art Schools and have made a considerable name for themselves in a variety of Art forms, including fineart,ceramics,sculpture,illustration and design. MembersoftheKilgrastonstaffwho worked with Sr. Bystram have spoken most appreciatively of both her gentle, kindly, humble character and the impact she had on her students. All Art work had to be photographed, packed carefully andsentoffingoodordertoGlasgowtotheexaminersandthiswasastressfulexperience.Shewas a favourite dormitory mistress – the pupil who gained the most stars for good order became the happy owner of one of Sr. Bystram’s pictures until the end of term. Every year, she would design the Kilgraston Community Christmas card.

At76yearsofageTeresafinallyretired. Kilgraston had been her home and her joy both as a child and as a Religious of the Sacred Heart. She loved the beauty of the Adam building, the Chapel, the grounds and trees and landscape.

93COR UNUM 2017

During her retirement years she was invited to Poland to spend a year to be with the Novices there; a challenge to return to the country she had left at the beginning of the Second World War. She was also invited to go to the mother house of the Society of the Sacred Heart to help with translation at Probation, the time young religious spent in Rome before their Final Vows.

Teresa had a deep spiritual life and much of it was nourished by the writings of Père Teillhard de Chardin, the Jesuit palaeontologist, who worked out in China. His idea of the Cosmic Christ spoke to her heart and in retirement she spent much time wrestling with his images, trying to create them through art. She and Sr. Mary F. O’Brien, who taught Science, shared the same strong attraction to the philosophy of Teillhard and spent many hours reading his books and discussing his thought.

Sr. Bystram will be remembered by all of us who knew her, as a most gifted educator, a warm community member and a loving friend. A woman who had given herself to God, she never looked back and now enjoys the Cosmic Christ in all his Beauty.

Following on from her dramatic escape from Poland, Sister Bystram eventually found a home at Kilgraston in the last years of the Second World War. After school she went to Edinburgh University where she was one oftheveryfirststudentstotakeaFineArtsdegree which was an academic study of the History of Art combined with a practical Art course.

Sister Bystram was an inspirational Art teacher. She always encouraged her pupils to use their eyes and was quick to spot if a drawing was not properly observed, if the dimensions were wrong or if a drawing was out of scale. It was a pleasure to visit her Art Roomwhichwasfilledwithcuriousobjectsforpupils to use as inspiration for their drawings - a treasure house.

It is part of our tradition in the Society to write a short life of our Sisters who have died. So I would love the many past pupils who either had Sr. Bystam as a dormitory mistress or as their art teacher, to send in their memories – my email address is below. Such tributes are precious.

MARGARET POPE RSCJ [email protected]

It was always noted that she took care to bring out pupils’ individuality in their artwork. Her own stamp was not evident in a girl’s painting: rather she sought for each one to develop her own style.

Several of her pupils went on to study Art at prestigious Art Schools and became artists themselves. Sister Bystram was a legend in the school with her gift for artistic composition, devotion to serving the community and charming personality. The Art at Kilgraston became renowned in her time and it has remained a special featureoftheschoolandcontinuestoflourishtothisday.

Lindsay dow (former Assistant Head

Such a special, gentle, talented lady. Although I had no talent for Art, she harnessed my gift for colour and design. I still have my little clay model she made for me. RIP.

June Butchart (former pupil

sacred Heart Mandala by teresa Bystram rscJ. Acrylic on Wood, 2001 Commissioned by Kilgraston to commemorate the school’s Jubilate! celebrations in 2000. Sister Bystram returned to Kilgraston in the early months of 2001 to paint the Mandala whichreflectsthegoalsandethosoftheSacredHeart.The Mandala is a special feature of the Chapel Corridor, much treasured by the school.

ALUMNAE ANNOUNCEMENTS

BIRTHSTo deborah (nee Parrott) and graham Lamb,a son Ruaridh in September 2015

To rachel (nee crawford) and neil ives,a daughter Edith in June 2016

To nicola (nee shevlane) and John Mitchell,a daughter Zara in October 2016

To natasha (nee Hedley) and stuart Fury,a daughter Annie-Rose on Christmas Eve, 2016

To Laura (nee Jones) and callum Frieslick,a daughter Charlotte in April2017inTexas

ENGAGEMENTS

Alice Fotheringham to nick scott

Alice Leslie Melville to Max Mackintosh

MARRIAGES

Mhoraig grossart to colin Blairat Glenalmond College in September 2016

Hermione gibbs to robbie Parryat Belladrum in May 2017

DEATHSBridget Scurfield (nee Macgregor)on 21st August 2016Born in Nairobi, she and her younger sister, Fiona attended Kilgraston inthelate1960s.BridgetmarriedBillScurfieldin1978andtheyhadason and a daughter. She and her husband ran Avenue Books, a busy second hand business in Northampton. The funeral Mass was held at the Church of St Gregory the Great, Northampton where she had been an active member.

Pamela Johnston (sister clare)on 27th August 2016Bornin1926,Pamela’searlyyearswerespentinSouthAfrica.Attheage of 7, she went to boarding school in Weymouth with the Sisters of the sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. She went to Kilgraston for her secondary education, where she became head girl. Pamela entered the CarmeliteorderinEdinburghin1945andtookthenameSr.ClareoftheHearts of Jesus and Mary out of the respect she had for those Sisters. She remained a Carmelite Sister until the end of her life, latterly at the Carmelite Convent, Dysart.

Joyce Hunter (former residential staff)on 15th september 2016With a great gift for friendship and taking a sincere interest in the welfare of pupils, Joyce was a member of the Kilgraston residential team for a number of years. On retirement she continued her links with the school and she attended the 2015 Kilgraston Reunion where she met up with many former pupils and colleagues. The funeral service was held at St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Kirriemuir, where she was a loyal member of the congregation.

sister teresa Bystramon 28th october 2016At Rosehill, Dalkeith (former pupil; Sister of the Society of the Sacred Heart, Craiglockhart, Kilgraston, Dalkeith, Head of Art at Kilgraston for many years) The funeral Mass was held in St David’s Church, Dalkeith on Tuesday 6th November 2016

sister Mollie Hand (society of the sacred Heart)on 19th december 2016The funeral Mass was held in St David’s Church, Dalkeith.

gloria Wark (nee de Pettes) on 6th June 2017Born in the UK of Hungarian parentage, Gloria and her sister Marika both attended school at Kilgraston where their mother taught Home Economics. Gloria played the violin and was a member of Perth Symphony Orchestra. She and Marika often played violin and piano duets. After studying at the RSAMD Glasgow, Gloria taught music for many years. She married Ronald Wark and their two children were Amanda and Christopher. The funeral Mass was held at St Mary Magdalene’s Church, Perth.


COR UNUM 2017 95

ALUMNAE NEWS

Hannah Brattesani Douglas Dunn Prize

for Creative Writing MA (Hons) English Literature,

First Class (Dean’s List for Top of Class)

St Andrews University

Sally McNicoll MA (Hons) Education 2.1,

University of Aberdeen

Jessica Menzies BSc (Hons) Neuroscience,

First Class, Edinburgh University

Tabitha Mills MA (Hons) History 2.1, University

of Aberdeen

Victoria Lund PhD from the University of Sheffield(Departmentof Molecular Biology and Biotechnology)

SofiaArnauMartinezhasjustfinishedherMaster’s degree in

Tourism in Barcelona and been awarded an internship at the Convention Centre

in Barcelona.

Carola (Lala) Jones (nee Stewart) runs

a successful ski and snowboard business with her husband in

Tignes, France. She is in touch with several

former pupils. Ailsa Law is doing

management training and does cover at the

Equestrian Centre occasionally.

Anna Reilly MB ChB Medicine, Aberdeen

University

Helen Gloistein gave a talktoKilgrastonsixthform students about her apprenticeship at Rolls Royce and her degree studies

in Engineering at the University of Derby.

Evie Lindsay BA Pathology Cambridge University (Gonville &

Caius College). She has taken up a Graduate

Teacher’s post at Benenden School

AlexandraMoncreiffefeatured this year on

the front cover of ‘Tatler’.

Hannah Reynolds has transferred to the

University of Southern California (USC) to aBA course in TV and

Film Production.

Mary Reynolds is studying Engineering at the University of Aberdeen. She won a year’s scholarship

to university in Singapore.

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2015

2013 2010

2012

2011

2014In order to ensure

accuracy, only newssent in directly to

school is mentioned here and we are

aware that therefore we have had to omit many graduations.

We encourage past pupils and

stafftosendinnews to Kilgraston.

Katie Robertsonwho is a student at Abertay University

has featured in the news for her

successful career in playing hockey for

Scotland.

Kilgraston School, Bridge of Earn, Perth, PH2 9BQ

+44(0)1738 812257 [email protected]

www.kilgraston.com

KilgrastonSchoolTrustisacharity.ScottishCharityNumberSCO29664

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